Despite a weeks-long multinational crackdown, scam centres along the Thai-Myanmar border are still operating with up to 100,000 people working there, according to the top police general leading Thailand ’s operations against the fraud compounds. Thailand is fronting a regional effort to dismantle scam centres along its borders, which are part of a Southeast Asian network of illegal facilities that generate billions of US dollars every year, often using people trafficked there by criminal gangs, according to the United Nations . Based on early assessments of some of the 5,000 people pulled out of sprawling scam hubs in Myanmar ’s Myawaddy area, hundreds went there voluntarily, said Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, calling for careful investigations among nationals of over a dozen countries to winnow out criminals. Thai Police General Thatchai
Category Archives: WORLD NEWS
Mar
The People’s Republic of China, through the Zambia Chinese Association, has donated goods worth over K1 million along with an additional K200,000 in cash to assist Zambia as it recovers from the devastating effects of drought, Vice President W.K. Mutale-Nalumango announced. Describing the donation as a “good gesture,” Dr. Mutale-Nalumango emphasized the significance of China’s continued support during challenging times. “We are further delighted with China’s commitment to offer support to Zambia in times of trouble,” she said. “Their dedication to corporate social responsibility has played a pivotal role in strengthening our bilateral relationship.” The donation comes as Zambia grapples with the economic and humanitarian impact of prolonged dry spells that have affected agricultural output and food security. The Chinese government and businesses operating in Zambia have been key contributors
Mar
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto ’s pledge to construct a remote island prison for corrupt officials has been met with scepticism from experts, who argued that deeper structural reforms of the prison system were needed to address chronic overcrowding and underfunding. “We will expel [corruptors] from the land of Indonesia if necessary. I will also set aside funds for [building] a very sturdy prison in a remote place where they cannot get out. We will look for an island where, if they get out, they will meet the sharks,” Prabowo said in a speech on March 13, without elaborating on the source of the funds. Prabowo’s concerns about convicts escaping stem from Indonesia ’s notoriously weak prison system, characterised by overcrowding and lax security. On March 10, 52 inmates escaped from
Mar
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ’s approval ratings have sharply declined amid public outrage over gift certificates he gave to party members, exposing deep-seated resentment toward the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and raising ethical concerns ahead of an important election. Analysts have noted that the 100,000-yen (US$668) gift certificates given by Ishiba to 15 LDP members after a dinner party in early March were not illegal since they were classified as personal gifts rather than political donations. However, they emphasised the shadow of previous financial scandals within the LDP had not gone away and that a “volcanic magma” of anger is building among the Japanese electorate. A weekend Asahi newspaper poll showed that Ishiba’s cabinet approval rating had dropped from 40 per cent to 26 per cent since the
Mar
Hong Kong police have arrested a male restaurant staff member for suspected voyeurism after a diner found a hidden camera in the women’s restroom of the eatery. Advertisement The force said on Saturday officers were alerted the day before by a female patron who said she found a camera hidden in the women’s restroom of the restaurant on Man Ying Street in Jordan. Officers arrested the employee, 40, for suspected voyeurism, police said. The offence carries a maximum jail sentence of five years in Hong Kong.
Mar
Mainland Chinese student Vixie Zhao arrived from Beijing six months ago to start her master’s degree programme and the first thing she bought was an annual pass to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. A long-time Disney fan, the 23-year-old has been heading to the theme park at least once a week to study, rather than take in the attractions or ride the roller coasters. “The ambience here is so uplifting, it’s like being in a sanctuary and it helps you forget life’s worries,” she said. The trend of young people buying annual memberships to study in Disneyland took off in Shanghai last year, and has caught on with some mainland students in Hong Kong recently. They say it allows them to “do the most painful thing at the happiest place on
Mar
A leading Malaysian reporter caught in a hotel raid allegedly accepting bribes to drop an investigation into a migrant-trafficking syndicate at Kuala Lumpur International Airport has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Malaysia has seen trafficking syndicates and corruption linked to its labour demands for migrant workers, with its main airport often in the spotlight of scandals, including last year when thousands of Bangladeshi migrants arriving on fake job offers were forced into illegal work and overstay. B. Nantha Kumar, 42, a senior reporter at prominent local online outlet Malaysiakini, was arrested on February 28 at a hotel in Shah Alam by officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on suspicion of soliciting and accepting a 20,000 ringgit (US$4,500) bribe from alleged traffickers in return for taking down
Mar
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that 94 Ghanaians were deported from the United States in 2024 as part of the US government’s intensified immigration crackdown. Addressing Parliament on Thursday, March 13, 2025, Mr Ablakwa stated that no Ghanaian had been deported from the US so far this year. He referenced data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which recorded 37,660 deportations in January 2025, with no Ghanaians included. He further revealed that two Ghanaians had recently been deported to Costa Rica, with Ghana’s Washington Mission working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to facilitate their transfer back to Ghana. 150 Ghanaians await deportation from United States Providing additional details, Mr Ablakwa informed Parliament that 150 Ghanaians are currently being held in various US
Mar
United States (US) officials are in Moscow to discuss a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived on Thursday morning to try to convince Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week in talks with the US. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says talks were “taking place in a calm manner” – but rejected the proposal, saying it would amount to nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military and a chance for it to regroup. The US visit comes as the Russian military claimed to have recaptured Sudzha – a key town in the Kursk region that Ukraine invaded last year in a surprise attack. President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk on Wednesday and met military commanders, who told him
Mar
A Unesco report highlights child labour, poverty, and bullying as key drivers of school dropout among boys, with millions disengaging from education. Poverty, child labour, bullying and violence are among key drivers behind boys disengaging from school, according to education experts. This, as the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (Unesco) latest global report has pointed to at least 132 million boys of primary and secondary school age having dropped out of primary and secondary learning institutions. Key findings: Globally, only 88 men were enrolled in tertiary education for every 100 women; and In 73 countries, fewer boys than girls were enrolled in upper-secondary education, while the opposite was the case in 48 countries. Unesco said the data highlighted “a global phenomenon: child labour and poverty – among other
Mar
Single-block residential buildings in four old Hong Kong districts are set to receive property management services from the middle of the year under a pilot scheme aimed at tackling long-standing problems of urban decay. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that Yau Tsim Mong district was the first to be consulted by her bureau about the plan under the joint property management scheme. Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Tsuen Wan will follow later this month. “We hope that by the middle of this year, we will be able to launch this scheme,” the minister told a radio programme. “We’re going to start with implementing the joint property management scheme in these four areas this year.” The plan is part of a proposal revealed
Mar
“If he didn’t drop me off, he would still be alive.” This is what Jakua Katjiruru told The Namibian after flash floods claimed the life of his cousin, Uaavi Kavezepa, in Windhoek on Monday evening. Kavezepa (33) died after the car he was driving was swept away by flash floods at Hochland Park. His body was later recovered in the Gammams River. Katjiruru yesterday said the river’s water level was still low when Kavezepa dropped him off at home, and he assumed it will remain safe on his way back. “We went to get the car washed in Katutura and Uaavi offered to drop me off when it started raining. He would still be alive if he didn’t drop me off,” he said. However, shortly after Kavezepa drove off, the
Mar
Japan has commissioned one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world, with the Raigei being the latest in a class of hunter-killer vessels designed to operate in the relatively shallow seas around the country. The diesel-electric Raigei – or Thunder Whale – was completed at Kawasaki Heavy Industry’s shipyards in Kobe and is the fourth vessel in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (MSDF) Taigei class of submarines. Its launch on Thursday also meets Japan’s maritime defence needs with its ability to conduct stealth operations in tight bodies of water and also reflects the country’s aversion to nuclear-powered submarines, according to analysts. At 84 metres from bow to stern, a displacement of 3,000 tons and a crew of 70, the Raigei has an ultra-quiet diesel-electric propulsion system that combines
Mar
China’s growing foreign policy budget signals a proactive approach to deepening ties with the Global South and expanding its Belt and Road Initiative, at a time when the US is taking an isolationist turn under “ America first ”, according to observers. The Chinese finance ministry on Wednesday proposed that the “diplomatic endeavours” budget for 2025 be raised by 8.4 per cent to over 64.5 billion yuan (US$8.87 billion), marking a bigger jump than the 6.6 per cent last year. The hike for the military budget, meanwhile, was set at 7.2 per cent, the same as in 2024 and 2023. The proposed budget was submitted to China’s top legislature as Premier Li Qiang delivered the government’s annual work report to top lawmakers at the “ two sessions ”, the country’s
Mar
Israel is unlikely to oppose an Arab entity taking responsibility for Gaza’s government if Hamas is off the scene, said a source familiar with the matter. By REUTERS MARCH 4, 2025 12:01 Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the Al Tahrir palace to discuss details of the Gaza reconstruction plan, ahead of the emergency Arab summit organised by Egypt this week, in Cairo, Egypt March 3, 2025.. (photo credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters) Arab leaders meet in Cairo on Tuesday with Egypt to present a plan for Gaza that would sideline Hamas and create interim bodies run by Arab, Muslim and Western states in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s idea of a “Middle East Riviera”. Who will run Gaza is the big unanswered