Topic: Thailand

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Censored: 5 plays and novels banned around the globe

Censorship of the arts has a long history, from ancient Greece to present-day Thailand. Here is a list of five plays and novels banned, for a variety of reasons, in regions across the globe.
Myanmar's about-face: 5 recent reforms

Since 1962, Myanmar's dictatorship has jailed the opposition, beat up monks, denied aid to disaster victims, and run scorched-earth campaigns against ethnic minorities. That may be changing, however. Here are five key changes the regime has made in just a matter of months.
Myanmar cease-fire: Who are the Karen rebels?

Cease-fire talks between the Myanmar government and the Karen ethnic minority could bring an end to one of the world's longest wars. But who exactly are the Karen?
American sentenced for royal insult: 4 recent cases in Thailand

Thailand's lèse-majesté laws are among the world's strictest. Here are four high profile cases in the past decade, three of which involve foreigners.
3 stand-out 2011 novels by award-winning writers

Three new works by three award-winning writers look at love, regret, and memory in this month's fiction roundup.

All Content

Another sign of Myanmar reform? Aung San Suu Kyi's visit to Thailand.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was welcomed in Thailand on Wednesday by crowds of migrant workers from Myanmar waiting to catch even a glimpse of her.
Global News Blog
Aung San Suu Kyi's 'test run' outside of Myanmar (+video)

On her first international trip since 1988, Aung San Suu Kyi is in Thailand to attend a World Economic Forum summit on Friday. Next month she will travel to Europe, collecting while there the Nobel Peace Prize awarded her in 1991.
Vacation deal for your dog? Website offers pet hosts.

Vacation deal: Website offers screened individuals who will care for your dog in their own home. Average cost of vacation deal: $25 to $30 a day.
Doggy couch surfing website has in-home vacation lodging for dogs

Doggy couch surfing? Website has in-home lodging for dogs when their owners go on a vacation and don't want to coop their pooch up in kennel caging.
In Gear
BMW voted most valuable car brand. Where does your car rank?

BMW grabbed the top spot as the world's most valuable car brand in the BrandZ Top 100 Global survey, edging out Toyota. BMW brand value has risen 10 percent over the past year.
North Korean women sold into 'slavery' in China

Like the thousands of women who fled North Korea before her, Kim Eun-sun made it into China and paid a woman to help her, only to discover she'd traded one form of captivity for another.
Sony stock slides as entertainment giant suffers huge earnings loss

Sony stock dipped 1.2 percent in Tokyo following the news that Sony racked up a record $5.6 billion annual loss in 2011. It was Sony's fouth straight year in the red.
Aung San Suu Kyi ends boycott to make Myanmar parliamentary debut

Aung San Suu Kyi's boycott and subsequent compromise highlight the challenges facing the Burmese opposition as they make their long-awaited foray into the country's parliamentary politics.
Cover Story
Is Myanmar about to rejoin the world?

One of the three most closed and isolated countries in the world is opening up. The long-repressed Burmese say it's unbelievable - but they want to believe in a new Myanmar.
Lifted sanctions may mean opportunities for Myanmar

The European Union announced Monday that it was lifting sanctions to reward Myanmar for its recent political reforms.
As sanctions ease on Myanmar, aid to refugees dries up (+video)

International donors are jumping at the chance to aid people inside Myanmar as sanctions ease. But refugees just outside the country are on the losing end.
Secret Service and US military: Why prostitution can end careers

It’s only quite recently that prostitution has been specifically addressed in military law. It also violates the Secret Service code of conduct. That's why last week's scandal in Colombia is damaging careers and ending some while raising questions about human trafficking.
Secret Service scandal sheds light on sex tourism in Latin America

Large events like the Summit of the Americas and upcoming Olympic games in Brazil can drive up the demand for prostitution and sex trafficking.
Thailand's blueprint to rein in fallout from floods and drought

Hundreds died and businesses lost billion in last year's floods, caused in part by overflow from dams filled to hedge against drought. This year, Thailand is testing different prevention measures.
Tsunami warning: This time, the system mostly worked

Tsunami warning sirens sounded around the Indian Ocean region after an 8.6 earthquake hit yesterday. During the 2004 tsunami, few warning systems were in place.
A tsunami-warning system makes waves

Big lessons can be learned from Wednesday's giant earthquake off Indonesia that led to an Indian Ocean-wide tsunami warning. The new system, set up since the big 2004 disaster, worked.
Terrorism & Security
Arms dealer Viktor Bout, blamed for arming Al Qaeda, receives 25 years in prison (+video)

An angry Moscow has vowed to repatriate Russian arms merchant Viktor Bout, whom a US court convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens.
Global News Blog
Thai censors say out, damned spot, out to Macbeth film adaptation

The maker of 'Shakespeare Must Die' is appealing the decision, but Thai bureaucrats are nervous about the movie's political overtones.
Censored: 5 plays and novels banned around the globe

Censorship of the arts has a long history, from ancient Greece to present-day Thailand. Here is a list of five plays and novels banned, for a variety of reasons, in regions across the globe.
Change Agent
A growing answer to rising seas: floating homes

Homes, hospitals, even prisons and golf courses may be built over the water as architects cope with rising sea levels that will affect coastal cities around the world.
As new era dawns in Myanmar, ethnic conflicts remain a challenge (+video)

The ethnic Kachin did not get a chance to vote in Sunday's historic parliamentary by-elections due to an ongoing civil war.
Muslim militants in south Thailand growing stronger

Four explosions rocked southern Thailand, killing 14 people in one of the biggest attacks in the eight year insurgency. The militancy remains far from tourist hot spots.
Aung San Suu Kyi will take part in 'decisive' Myanmar vote despite 'irregularities' (+video)

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi expressed concern Friday that Myanmar's Sunday election will not be 'genuinely free and fair,' citing intimidation and interference.
Trayvon Martin case draws celebrities, feds join investigation

Trayvon Martin's shooting death is attracting celebrity attention, including Spike Lee, Wyclef Jean, and Mia Farrow. The US Justice Department opened its own probe into the Trayvon Martin case in Florida.
Japan tsunami brought home hard lessons for automakers

On the first anniversary of the Japan tsunami, the auto industry is returning to normal after some significant disruptions. But the face of the industry has shifted.