International news with relevance to Thai and regional readers
India imposed tough new rules on social media platforms Thursday as it accused US tech giants of “double standards” in taking down disputed content. New Delhi is the latest in a series of governments to clamp down on Facebook, Twitter and other big tech firms but analysts said India’s move could be challenged in court.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Golfing champion Tiger Woods was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Tuesday with severe leg injuries suffered when his car swerved off a road and rolled down a steep hillside, requiring rescue crews to pry him from the wreckage, authorities said. The injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Los Angeles County
(Reuters) – New Zealand started its official rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday, while Australia finalised plans to begin inoculations on Monday, a new phase in tackling the virus that both countries have kept largely contained. A small group of medical professionals were injected on Friday in Auckland ahead of the wider rollout which
Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is still waiting for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to start the countdown to its launch across the 27-nation bloc. With Moscow and Brussels trading barbs over the length of time the Amsterdam-based regulator is taking, here is what we know so far: What’s the process? The EMA says Sputnik faces
The first dose of the Pfizer vaccination is 85 percent effective against coronavirus infection between two and four weeks after inoculation, according to a study published in the Lancet medical journal. The survey was carried out on healthcare workers at the largest hospital in Israel, which on December 19 launched a mass vaccination campaign regarded
(Reuters) – A laboratory study suggests that the South African variant of the coronavirus may reduce antibody protection from the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE vaccine by two-thirds, and it is not clear if the shot will be effective against the mutation, the companies said on Wednesday. The study found the vaccine was still able to neutralize
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australians woke to empty news feeds in their Facebook Inc accounts on Thursday after the social media giant blocked all local media content in a surprise and dramatic escalation of a dispute with the government over paying for content. The move was swiftly criticised by several local media outlets and lawmakers, many
In Dubai, known for its luxury haunts and parties, Lindsey knows she has reasons to be happy. But like many young expatriates, she’s sure her quest for a partner will force her to leave. “Even if I had the best job, I wouldn’t stay,” said the curly-haired 32-year-old French teacher who is keen on starting
MILWAUKEE (Reuters) – President Joe Biden vowed during a prime-time televised town hall on Tuesday to accelerate the country’s vaccination program and said teachers should be moved closer to the front of the line for inoculations to allow more schools to reopen. In his first official trip since taking office in January, Biden traveled to
President Joe Biden will hold his first event with other leaders from the Group of Seven nations in a virtual meeting on Friday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, the world economy and dealing with China, the White House said on Sunday. The meeting is the first by top leaders from the G7 group of rich
At least 19 people were killed and dozens hurt in a blast at a firecracker factory in India, authorities said Saturday. The blast on Friday afternoon in Virudhunagar district was one of the worst such incidents in years in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Local official R Kannan told AFP that the death toll
BEIJING (Reuters) – China barred Britain’s BBC World News from airing on Friday and Hong Kong’s public broadcaster said it was dropping the channel, a week after Britain’s media regulator revoked Chinese state television’s UK broadcast licence. China’s National Radio and Television Administration said an investigation found BBC World News’ China-related reports had “seriously violated”
