World News
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Sponsored Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know
The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...
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China’s lobbying for Myanmar junta to join Xi Summit met with opposition
China’s Special Envoy of Asian Affairs Sun Guoxiang has pressed Southeast Asian governments to allow Myanmar’s military ruler to attend a regional meeting hosted by China’s President next week, but has faced heavy opposition, diplomatic sources told Reuters reporters. He visited Singapore and Brunei last week, but was told that Myanmar military junta chief Ming Aung Hlaing would be unable…
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Thai Foreign Minister reportedly admits to meeting with Myanmar’s military junta
Following reports in Burmese media that Thailand’s Foreign Affairs Minister visited Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw last weekend to meet with the military junta and coup leader, the minister has reportedly revealed details about his trip, saying he discussed humanitarian aid for the country’s citizens. Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Pramudwinai, who also serves as Deputy PM, reportedly admitted to meeting with coup…
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New Covid-19 treatment from AstraZeneca could make “significant difference”
Studies show that a new Covid-19 antibody treatment from AstraZeneca offers 83% protection over 6 months. According to a Reuters report, the pharmaceutical giant says the new treatment could offer hope to people who don’t respond well to vaccines. Executive Vice President Mene Pangalos says the evidence shows it could make a significant difference. “These new data add to the…
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Thai and Cambodian police rescue 99 Thais from forced labour in Phnom Penh
Thai police have worked with their Cambodian counterparts to rescue another 99 Thai nationals working in forced labour conditions in Phnom Penh. It follows the earlier rescue of Thai workers held in similar conditions in the Cambodian border city of Poipet. According to a Bangkok Post report, the workers were rescued from a fenced-off 3-storey building in the Cambodian capital.…
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Belarus deeply divided over migrant arrivals
It was a spontaneous decision. “I packed a wool coat, vest, warm scarves, mittens, a blanket and jacket,” writes a Minsk-based blogger, who requested anonymity. The items were part of an impromptu donation drive to support migrants holed up in the Belarus capital. She describes in the Facebook post how “grateful” they were to receive the clothing. “The black coat…
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China: Detained journalist Zhang Zhan on ‘brink of death’
Detained journalist Zhang Zhan is reportedly on the “brink of death” amid a hunger strike, as international pressure mounts on the Chinese government to release her. Zhang was also unveiled as the recipient of the 2021 Press Freedom Award in the courage category, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on Thursday. She was arrested in May 2020, after posting dozens of…
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China: Detained journalist Zhang Zhan on ‘hanging by a thread’
Detained journalist Zhang Zhan is reportedly on the “hanging by a thread” amid a hunger strike, as international pressure mounts on the Chinese government to release her. Zhang was also unveiled as the recipient of the 2021 Press Freedom Award in the courage category, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on Thursday. She was arrested in May 2020, after posting dozens…
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China: Detained journalist Zhang Zhan’s life ‘hanging by a thread’
Detained journalist Zhang Zhan is reportedly on the “hanging by a thread” amid a hunger strike, as international pressure mounts on the Chinese government to release her. Zhang was also unveiled as the recipient of the 2021 Press Freedom Award in the courage category, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), on Thursday. She was arrested in May 2020, after posting dozens…
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Greece: NGO workers could face prison for helping migrants
When Sean Binder and Sarah Mardini were arrested and put in prison on the Greek island of Lesbos in February 2018, the police report referred to them as “No. 7” and “No. 8.” “I am actually not sure if I am seven or eight, but it was me and Sara in the police car that day, so I am definitely…
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Salt Bae parody in Vietnam lands beef noodle vendor in hot water
It’s rare that a meme results in being hauled in by the police, but in Vietnam, a poorly – or perhaps pointedly – timed meme has landed a beef noodle soup vendor in hot water. The man posted a video of himself parodying the “Salt Bae” – chef Nusret Gokce, who went massively viral in 2017 for the flamboyant way…
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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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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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Belarus-Poland crisis: Death and misery at the border
He was only 19 years old when he died — and was buried this week in a quiet ceremony in the tiny Polish village of Bohoniki, near the Kuznica border crossing to Belarus. The location is a place where Muslim Tartars settled in the 17th century and, while only a handful of them live there today, the small community felt…
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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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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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Deadly storm hits Canada
Torrential rains have triggered floods and landslides in the Canadian province of British Columbia. At least one person has died. SOURCE: DW News
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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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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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Paxlovid deal allows generics of Covid-19 treatment for 95 countries
Pfizer struck a deal with Medicines Patent Pool to allow generic drug manufacturers to produce its new Paxlovid antiviral Covid-19 pills cheaply for less wealthy countries. The deal was announced yesterday and will bring down the cost of the Covid-19 treatment course for 95 countries that are considered low and middle-income. The access covers about 53% of the world population.…
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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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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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Singapore vows to continue hosting F1 Grand Prix – Transport Minister
Good news for Formula One enthusiasts in Singapore as the Transport Minister says discussions with Formula One management and race organisers Singapore GP on a new contract are ongoing, despite the cancellation of this year’s race owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Minister S. Iswaran said at a press conference that Singapore is in talks to host the F1 Singapore Grand…
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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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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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Victims’ families sue tail rotor company for Leicester City helicopter crash
Legal negotiations are continuing between Raytheon and the families of 2 pilots who died in a helicopter crash at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium 3 years ago. US firm Raytheon manufactured parts for the helicopter. An interim report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch found that a fault in the tail rotor system caused the cockpit pedals to disconnect from…
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