Thailand drops lengthy quarantine restrictions for vaccinated travelers

Thailand has relaxed its quarantine restrictions and is reopening to vaccinated travelers arriving from several dozen countries and territories, providing a much-needed boost for the country's embattled tourism industry.
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Scenes of joy as Australia's international travel restarts after nearly 20 months

Australia's international borders reopened on Monday, ending nearly 20 months of tough restrictions and sparking emotional scenes at Sydney and Melbourne airports as people reunited with their loved ones.
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China grows more isolated as Asia Pacific neighbors start living with Covid-19

From Australia to South Korea and across Asia Pacific, the final bastions of "zero Covid" are easing restrictions and opening borders as the region prepares to live with the virus -- except for one major holdout.
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Japan's Fumio Kishida defies expectations as ruling party easily keeps majority

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ruling LDP defied expectations and held on to a stable majority in Sunday's parliamentary election, solidifying his position in a fractious party and allowing him to ramp up stimulus.
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A 'number of people' injured after UK train crash, police say

A "number of people" have been left injured from a train collision at a tunnel near Salisbury, England, according to the British Transport Police (BTP).
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A 'number of people' injured after UK train crash, police say

A "number of people" have been left injured from a train collision at a tunnel near Salisbury, England, according to the British Transport Police (BTP).
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One killed in Czech cable car accident

One person died after a Czech cable car cabin became detached from its cable on Sunday in the north of the country, while others were rescued from another cabin, a rescue service spokesperson said.
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Biden makes a joke during meeting with Pope Francis

President Biden, the United States' second Catholic president, met Pope Francis at the Vatican. They were expected to discuss climate change, migration and income inequality, among other issues.
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Blinken: 'About 340' Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan since US withdrawal

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that "about 340" Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan since the US formally exited from the country in late August.
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Man wielding knife sets fire to Tokyo train, injuring at least 8, public broadcaster reports

A man has been arrested by Tokyo police after brandishing a knife and starting a fire on a moving train in the Japanese capital on Sunday, the country's public broadcaster NHK reported.
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The only Caribbean island on Lonely Planet's list of top destinations has new travel requirements. Here's what to know

There are only two months left in 2021 and as we enter November, countries around the world are relaxing their Covid-19 restrictions. Here are 10 destinations that have made headlines in pandemic travel news this week.
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Flooding destroyed his home four times in three years. This is the reality of climate change for India's poor

Anish Yadav was sleeping in his home, a fragile hut made of wood and plastic, when the water rushed in.
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Mummies found buried in boats in a China desert have unexpected origins

Commercial genetic tests can unveil surprising details about your roots. My Chinese mother-in-law, born in Hong Kong, found out she was a quarter Irish. The test results even pinpointed the county from where her previously unknown Irish grandfather originated.
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Inside the fight over the future of the oil industry

The people who made their fortunes in the oil capital of Europe need a new plan.
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Inside Facebook's struggle to combat misinformation and hate speech in India

In early 2019, a team of Facebook's researchers spent two weeks interviewing 30 users across two Indian cities, Jaipur and Hyderabad. The goal: to learn about their experiences with misinformation and fact-checking on its platforms.
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The duchesses stepping up in the absence of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II

As the world's longest-serving head-of-state, the Queen's skill at wooing world leaders is masterful. Adept in the art of soft diplomacy, she's revered by the other heads-of-state for her hosting skills and ability to avoid offending her guests.
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President Xi Jinping's pledge to redistribute wealth brings back bad memories for luxury brands in China

Chinese President Xi Jinping's national campaign for "common prosperity" has cast a shadow over an industry that counts the country as one of its biggest markets: luxury goods.
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France summons captain of seized British fishing boat to court as UK warns 'two can play that game'

The captain of a British fishing trawler detained in France was ordered to appear before a French court over allegations of illegal fishing, as the war of words between the two countries over post-Brexit fishing rights escalated on Friday.
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US is skeptical, considering tougher action as Iran says it will return to nuclear talks

US officials are highly skeptical that renewed talks over the Iran nuclear deal will yield the desired results and are actively discussing imposing penalties on Tehran as President Joe Biden prepares to meet with key allies on the margins of the G20 to chart a path forward.
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European Parliament sues Commission over 'failure' to apply rule of law powers

The European Parliament has filed a lawsuit against the European Commission -- the bloc's executive arm -- over its "failure" to apply rule of law measures to member states.
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France summons captain of seized British fishing boat to court

The captain of a British fishing trawler detained in France was ordered to appear before a French court over allegations of illegal fishing, as the war of words between the two countries over post-Brexit fishing rights escalated on Friday.
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Obama returns to the world stage to boost Biden and reassure leaders after four years of Trump

Barack Obama is headed to next week's big climate conference in Glasgow to try and convince the world that America is more about Joe Biden than Donald Trump.
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Missing hiker ignored calls from rescuers because it was an unknown number

A Colorado rescue team has some simple advice for lost hikers or anyone else who might find themselves stranded in the mountains -- answer your phone.
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Everest's 100 years of destiny and death on the roof of the world

It's a fact every school child knows: Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world.
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Evergrande has reportedly made good on another payment, averting default once again

For the second time this month, China's most indebted developer Evergrande has reportedly managed to avoid default at the last minute.
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Facebook changes its company name to Meta

Facebook is changing its company name as it shifts its focus to the "metaverse" and confronts wide-ranging scrutiny of the real-world harms from its various platforms after a whistleblower leaked hundreds of internal documents.
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CEO says Volkswagen has 'seen the worst' of the chip shortage

Volkswagen thinks the worst of the global chip shortage is in its rear-view mirror.
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England could become the first country to prescribe e-cigarettes

Health regulators in England have paved the way for e-cigarettes to be prescribed by doctors for the first time in any country to help people stop smoking tobacco, Britain's health ministry said on Friday.
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Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank draw condemnation from US, UK, Europe

Israel's plan to greenlight thousands of new Israeli housing units in the West Bank is drawing outcry from the US, UK and a dozen European countries.
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Why Chinese influencers are flocking to a Costco in Shanghai (and no, it's not for the discounts)

A girl wearing a green varsity jacket sits with her feet up inside a shopping cart in an empty parking lot; a group of friends in sunglasses hold up pizzas and cokes; another girl in a baseball cap poses on a lawn at dusk, looking back at her long shadow on the grass.
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This Philippines startup is making coolers out of coconuts

Cheap to make, water-resistant and insulating, foamed polystyrene is the go-to material for packaging in markets and food stores around the globe.
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US vs. China: How the world's two biggest emitters stack up on climate

China and the United States are the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, so any attempt to address the climate crisis will need to involve deep emissions cuts from these two powerhouse nations.
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Russian accused of being part of cybercrime ring extradited from South Korea to Ohio

A Russian man accused of being part of cybercrime ring that infected millions of computers worldwide was arraigned in federal court in Ohio on Thursday after being extradited from South Korea, the Justice Department announced.
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America's economic recovery hits a major roadblock

This summer, the American economic recovery hit a roadblock.
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US government bans China Telecom from operating in the country

Washington is barring a major Chinese state-owned telecommunications firm from operating in the United States over national security concerns — an action that threatens to once again increase tensions between the world's two largest economies.
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Hong Kong passes film censorship law to 'safeguard national security'

Hong Kong's legislature passed a new film censorship law on Wednesday to "safeguard national security," though critics say it will dampen creativity in its world famous movie industry and further reduce freedoms in the former British colony.
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Shiba inu coin price hits a new record as Robinhood petition gains popularity

Shiba inu coin soared to a new record on Wednesday, capping a surge of over 60,000,000% over the past year.
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Taiwan's President says threat from China is increasing 'every day,' and confirms presence of US military trainers

The leader of Taiwan, the island thrust into the center of rising tensions between the United States and China, said the threat from Beijing is growing "every day," as for the first time she confirmed the presence of American troops on Taiwanese soil.
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China reiterates firm opposition to US-Taiwan military contact in response to CNN interview

The Chinese government on Thursday reiterated its long-standing opposition to any official and military contact between the United States and Taiwan, responding to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen's remarks during a CNN exclusive interview.
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China submits new emissions pledge to UN with modest increase in commitments

China, the world's biggest polluter, has made only a small improvement in its emission-cutting plan formally submitted to the UN on Thursday, just days before the start of a crucial G20 leaders meeting in Rome and climate summit in Glasgow.
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Moscow launches fresh restrictions as Covid-19 deaths hit record high in Russia

Tough new Covid-19 restrictions went into effect in Moscow on Thursday, with the Russian capital entering an 11-day paid holiday that authorities hope will help rein in skyrocketing coronavirus cases and deaths across the country.
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Is the Boeing 787 a dream or a nightmare?

Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson once said, "If your dreams don't scare you, they are too small." He wasn't referring to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that his airline operates, but it easily applies.
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'The Trump of the tropics' gets a reelection boost

Brazil's president, Jair Bolsonaro, is up for reelection and just got an endorsement from former President Donald Trump amid controversy. CNN's Isa Soares reports.
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India, the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, rejects net zero emissions target

India on Wednesday rejected calls to announce a net zero carbon emissions target and said it was more important for the world to lay out a pathway to reduce such emissions and avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.
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2% of Elon Musk's wealth could solve world hunger, says director of UN food scarcity organization

A small group of ultra-wealthy individuals could help solve world hunger with just a fraction of their net worth, says the director of the United Nations' World Food Programme.
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Beijing says it's time for companies to pay their overseas debts as Evergrande fears linger

Beijing is making one thing clear to the country's embattled property developers: Pay your debts. All of them.
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This exec was central to banning Trump on Twitter. Now she's facing thorny issues in democracies abroad

Two months after former US President Donald Trump was inaugurated in 2017, Twitter executive Vijaya Gadde was asked how she felt about his proposition that he might not have won the White House without the social media platform.
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Boris Johnson thinks he doesn't need business. It's a huge gamble

Boris Johnson's government has just laid out its annual tax and spending plans with a clear central theme: building back better after the pandemic.
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Analysis: With 100 days until the Winter Olympics, Beijing races to control Covid outbreak

Wednesday marks the start of the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Winter Olympics, but not everyone is in the mood to celebrate, as officials instead race to suppress a widening outbreak of Covid-19.
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Islanders sue Australia for inaction on climate change

A group of Torres Strait Islanders living off Australia's north coast filed a court claim against the Australian government on Tuesday, alleging it has failed to protect them from climate change which now threatens their homes.
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