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 See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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Tourists rush to climb Australia’s Uluru before ban kicks in on October 26
by Holly Robertson Large numbers of tourists are rushing to scale ‘Uluru’, aka. Ayers Rock, ahead of a looming ban on climbing the enormous natural monolith in the centre of Australia, sacred to indigenous Australians. Critics have been lashing the last-minute climbers as “ignorant”, saying they’re going against the wishes of the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, the Anangu.…
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Asian markets stumble over trade concerns, Brexit sentiment sinks pound
Asian markets fell after hefty losses in New York yesterday, owing to growing China-US tensions in the next round of trade talks, while the British pound continues to be beaten down by fears the UK is on the verge of crashing out of the EU. The downbeat mood comes as investors fret over signs the global economy is slowing down.…
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Chinese media is slamming NBA over Hong Kong comments
Sport, world politics and the mess in Hong Kong. Put the three together and you have an explosive mix. The NBA’s entire future as it expands in China is now under a serious cloud. Chinese state media is slamming the NBA for their “about-face” after the basketball association said it would not apologise for a tweet by the Houston Rockets…
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Hong Kong won’t rule out accepting help from China over protests
PHOTO: AFP Following more violent protests in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam says China stepping in to end the crisis is not out of the question. Angry demonstrations have rocked the city for four months now, having started out as protests against a proposed extradition bill that could have seen criminals sent to China for trial. The Hong Kong…
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Focus back on US-China trade talks – Asian markets rise
“A large percentage of the market thinks China may roll the dice and take advantage of what they think is Trump’s weakened political state.” Asian markets rise today as investors resume their focus on the next round of China-US trade talks this week. But hopes for success are being tempered by mixed messages from both sides of the table. There has been…
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Samsung Electronics flags 56% fall in third quarter profits
“Samsung took advantage of the US trade ban against Chinese rival Huawei.” PHOTO: CNBC Samsung Electronics says it expects operating profits to drop more than 50% in Q3 amid a continued slump in the global chip market. Operating profits for July to September was expected to reach 7.7 trillion won (US$6.4 billion), down 56.2% from a year earlier – this from…
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Second Trump whistleblower comes forward with “first-hand information”
“Biden wrote in The Washington Post that Trump was “frantically pushing flat-out lies, debunked conspiracy theories and smears against me and my family, no doubt hoping to undermine my candidacy.” MONTAGE: Wall Street Journal A second whistleblower has come forward, this one with first-hand information about events that triggered an impeachment investigation into US President Donald Trump. The original whistleblower…
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North Korean boat collides with Japanese fisheries patrol vessel
A North Korean boat has collided with a Japanese fisheries patrol vessel in the Sea of Japan, off the central coast, tipping around 20 North Koreans overboard. Japan coast guard spokesman Kazuma Nohara told AFP that they were dispatching rescue boats and aircraft to the area, but we don’t know any more details about it at this stage. The North Korean boat…
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North Korea has “no intention” to continue nuclear talks with the US
PHOTO: It’s good to come to talks prepared with your very own note light and human lightstand – AP North Korea says it has “no intention” to continue nuclear talks unless the US takes steps to “end hostilities”… this just a day after negotiations broke down in Sweden. The discussions in Sweden followed months of stalemate following a February meeting…
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Time to re-submit Brexit plan – EU to UK
“As they stand, “the UK proposals do not provide a basis for concluding an agreement,” a European Commission spokeswoman underlined Friday.” by Marc Burleigh British PM Boris Johnson has been on the phone to EU leaders yesterday to sell his proposals for a managed Brexit. But he says he is hitting a wall of pressure to revise his offer, and…
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Protesters still wearing masks and city subway grinds to a halt – Hong Kong
by Jerome Taylor and Jasmine Leung Pro-democracy protesters have been marching through Hong Kong today in defiance of a ban on face masks as much of the city grinds to a halt with the subway suspended and swathes of shops and malls shuttered following another night of violence. The latest act of resistance follows a night of widespread chaos as…
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Hong Kong leader should resign, says Malaysian PM
PHOTO: AFP Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam should quit as pro-democracy protests continue to rock the city. Activists are becoming increasingly violent as they voice their anger at what they see as increased interference from Beijing. The protests have now been running for four months and show no signs of ending soon.…
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Six more countries now get visa-on-arrival into Myanmar
Around Thailand the possibilities for foreigners travelling is growing with visa-free arrivals, waived fees, no paperwork and quick processing at Immigration ports. Now, the Myanmar government is introducing new regulations to facilitate easier access as another step towards opening up the country to the world, and tourism. Starting this week, tourists from six countries – Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain…
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Ban on Hong Kong protester face masks – Carrie Lam
“Although the ordinance carries the title emergency, Hong Kong is not in a state of emergency.” by Jerome Taylor and Jasmine Leung Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam has announced a ban on protesters wearing face masks, invoking colonial-era emergency powers, in a bid to quell months of violent anti-government unrest. Carrie Lam said she had made the order under the…
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Raffles reopens historic Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Cambodia
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, one of the most iconic heritage properties in south east Asia, reopened its doors to guests this week after a six-month closure for renovations and refurbishments. One hundred and twelve of the landmark property’s 119 rooms and suites have been fully refurbished, buttressing the intrinsic appeal of a property renowned for its classic facade, its expansive…
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Competing in ESports in grades-obsessed Singapore
“Players from nine countries will compete in six titles at the SEA Games – Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, Dota 2, Starcraft II, Tekken 7, and Hearthstone.” by Sam Reeves / Martin Abbugao Very un-Singaporean indeed. In a country highly focused on academic achievement, Singapore’s Galvin Kang Jian Wen (centre, above) did something almost unthinkable – he stopped studying as…
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Hong Kong police call for curfew amid riots
PHOTO: AFP Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been clashing with police since the shooting at close range of an 18 year old protester earlier this week. Activists have gone on the rampage, setting fires and throwing petrol bombs, while police responded with tear gas, as four months of protests show no signs of dying down. The police themselves are…
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US will slap tariffs on EU following Airbus trade ruling
PHOTO: Airbus factory in Toulouse, France – Manatour.fr The US is making more trade waves, in addition to its long-running trade war with China. Now it’s taking on the largest trade bloc in the world – the European Union. Aircraft and agricultural items from Europe will now be subject to US tariffs in the latest round of a long legal…
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‘Impeachment nonsense’ is to blame for Wall Street rout – US President Trump
“Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index signaled that September was the worst month for US manufacturing in more than a decade.” October’s history as an irritating month for world stocks reared its head again after only two days as markets plunged on fears, both real and imagined. The Dow Jones industrial average gave up all its September gains and then…
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Critics sound alarm as Singapore’s ‘fake news’ law start today
“Singapore ranks very poorly in the Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index – 151st out of 180 countries, surrounded by countries like Russia, Bangladesh, Rwanda and Iraq.” by Catherine Lai Singapore’s new law to combat “fake news” came into effect today despite criticism from tech giants and activists, who are labelling the tough rules as a “chilling” attempt to stifle…
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Four bodies recovered, two missing after bridge collapse in Taiwan – VIDEO
“The petrol tanker burst into flames at some point after it hit the water, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the air.” Four bodies have been recovered from under a collapsed bridge in Taiwan as searches continued for two people still missing when the structure smashed onto fishing boats moored underneath. The National Fire Agency reports that two…
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Thomas Cook customers may have to wait 2 month for refunds
PHOTO: Rick Findler/PA Wire Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority says that refunds of bookings by failed travel giant Thomas Cook’s customers could take longer than expected. At this stage the regulator says they don’t have all information needed from the collapsed travel firm. The British Civil Aviation Authority says it was launching a new, online payment system next week for bookings…
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Indonesia’s burning issue – controlling the palm oil giants
PHOTOS: Donny Sophandi and AFP A brutal Indonesian forest fire season blanketed some of south east Asia in choking smog is renewing scrutiny of the country’s major palm oil and paper companies. Activists are accusing them of breaking promises to halt logging. The monster plantation blazes sent a pall of acrid smoke over the region for weeks, closing schools and…
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China celebrates 70 year anniversary, Hong Kong protesters have their own plans
by Laurent Thomet and Helen Roxburgh China celebrates 70 years of its Communist Party history today with a parade of tanks, missiles and troops, a muscular display of its rising superpower status since 1949. Authorities in Beijing have closed roads, banned the flying of kites, and shut some bars as they tightened security for an event celebrating China’s journey, from…
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China’s manufacturing sector improves during September
PHOTO: China Daily “Caixin said confidence among goods producers was still subdued as worries persisted over the outcome of China-US trade negotiations.” China’s manufacturing sector showed unexpected signs of improvement during September with two indexes showing that manufacturing activity edged up, despite ongoing trade pressures with the US. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the Purchasing Managers’ Index rose…
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Brexit dampens British housing market
“In London, property values dropped by 4% in the first quarter from their level earlier this year, the sharpest drop since 2009 when the global financial crisis was raging.” by Véronique Dupont As Britain’s deadline to leave the EU approaches, property prices have slowed or dropped, especially in London, with sector analysts warning of worse to come if Britain crashes…
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Hong Kong stocks open lower, another weekend of strife ahead
PHOTO: AFP More protests in Hong Kong over the weekend, and threats of interruptions to communist China’s 70th anniversary celebrations starting tomorrow, is weighing heavily on investors this morning. Hong Kong stocks opened lower this morning, extending losses at the end of last week, a day before mass pro-democracy protests planned in the city on communist China’s 70th anniversary. The…
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Hong Kong clashes heat up ahead of 70th anniversary party for China
by Yan Zhao & Jasmine Leung “Democracy activists in the financial hub had vowed to ramp up their nearly four-month-long campaign ahead of tomorrow’s National Day celebrations.” Fierce clashes have again broken out between protesters and riot police in Hong Kong as thousands march through the sections of the strife-torn city. It was a day of global protests aimed at…
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Most of Thomas Cook stranded customers back in UK
PHOTO: The Guardian More than half of of the 150,000 holidaymakers left stranded abroad following the collapse of British travel company Thomas Cook are now back in the UK. The local Civil Aviation Authority says that 76,000 people have now been repatriated in the first six days of ‘Operation Matterhorn’ – Britain’s largest peacetime repatriation of its citizens. 178 year…
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Discussions between Hong Kong leader and protesters yield little in the way of progress
PHOTO: AFP Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam appeared humble during a meeting where citizens voiced discontent at her ongoing refusal to give in to their demands. The meeting comes after more than three months of often violent anti-government protests in the city. The protests originally began as a result of a proposed bill that would pave the way for…
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