Thousands gather in Bangkok as king returns to country

Pro-democracy demonstrators make a human chain as they march during a Thai anti-government mass protest, on the 47th anniversary of the 1973 student uprising, in Bangkok, Thailand October 14, 2020.
Thousands gathered to protest in Bangkok on Wednesday, some forming human chains

Anti-government protesters in Thailand have staged a rally in Bangkok ahead of an expected motorcade carrying King Maha Vajiralongkorn, following months of escalating tension in the country.

The protesters are calling for political reforms including curbs on the powers of king, who spends most of his time outside Thailand.

They have also demanded the departure of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Supporters of the monarchy staged rival protests in the capital on Wednesday.

The two sides gathered separately along Ratchadamnoen Avenue, with many of the monarchists wearing t-shirts in the royal yellow colour. They were largely kept apart, save for a brief fistfight.

The anti-government protesters linked arms and marched chanting “Prayuth, get out!” and “Long live the people!” Police prevented them from reaching the office of the prime minister.

The royalists shouted insults at the protesters. “We want

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Ellen DeGeneres Lists Bali-Inspired Montecito Compound

When it comes to her multimillion-dollar real estate hobby, Ellen DeGeneres shows no signs of slowing down. According to Variety, the talk show host and her wife, Portia de Rossi, recently listed their lavish Balinese-style Montecito compound for just shy of $40 million. This news comes just several months after they sold a unique Tudor-style home in the same area to Ariana Grande.

The sprawling 9.3-acre compound, which they purchased in early 2019 for $27 million, comprises a number of structures including a main house, a separate guesthouse, a cabana, and a detached office. In total, the spaces measure 10,700 square feet, with four bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. The 8,188-square-foot primary residence features an entryway with an entire wall of glass that opens onto a cavernous great room decked out in a Balinese-style aesthetic: thatched bamboo ceilings, distressed oak floors, and flamed black limestone. There is direct access from

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Nile cruises sail again, forced to navigate river full of challenges

Oct 14, 2020

The cruise ship Amwaj (Wave) set sail Oct. 1 from Luxor to Aswan with a group of American, Swiss and British tourists on the very first trip on the Nile River since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown of the tourism sector. The floating hotel was the first to obtain the required license from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to get back on track, following the announcement that cruises would be allowed to resume work bearing restrictions this month.

“For us, resuming the cruises for tourists has been like giving the kiss of life to a dying person,” Mohamed Rabie, manager of Amwaj, told Al-Monitor. “We are very honored to be the first cruise ship on the Nile to start operating. We do not have many guests on board yet, but for next week the numbers are increasing.” 

Rabie said eight passengers and

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John Minniti was a judge who was always on the go

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Loved and Lost is a project about memorializing those lost to COVID-19 in NJ.

NorthJersey.com

This story is part of Loved and Lost, a statewide media collaboration working to celebrate the life of every New Jersey resident who died of COVID-19. To learn more and submit a loved one’s name to be profiled, visit lovedandlostnj.com.

John Minniti was certified as a New York City tour guide, but he never gave a bunch of strangers a tour of the city he adored. He saved that for the people he loved.

Born in Newark and raised in Orange, Minniti made New York City his playground. 

On weekends he would blaze a trail through the city grid to soak in the sights, sounds and flavors of New York’s museums, parks and restaurants, said his wife, Diane Minniti. A stroll through the city with friends and family was his greatest joy, she said.

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Greek Travel Agents, Tourist Guides Angered Over Covid-19 Risk Map

Photo Source: FEG Tourist Guides

Greek travel agents and tourist guides are up in arms over a recently announced Covid-19 risk-assessment map which categorizes into four levels the country’s regional units based on degree of risk as indicated by a color-coded system.

The Federation of Hellenic Associations of Tourist & Travel Agencies (fedHATTA) and Efi Kalampoukidou, an accredited tourist guide in Greece and president of the European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG), are demanding that the government clarify which restrictions apply, arguing that the measures are unreasonable and unfair.

According to Kalampoukidou, under the current measures, no group tours are allowed in Level 3 areas, which include all of Athens. She adds that authorities have failed to clarify number of participants in groups, locations, monuments, and open-air tourist attractions as well as whether smaller private group tours are allowed.

At the same time, FedHATTA also reacted to the

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Where Was ‘The Bachelorette’ Filmed? How to Book a Stay at the California Resort

This season of The Bachelorette looks a lot different from those past, mainly because of the location. Clare Crawley and suitors didn’t spend any time at the Bachelor Mansion due to COVID. Instead, they bunked up at a glamorous resort, which you can definitely visit—when it’s safe to travel again, of course.



Clare Crawley meets Riley on night one of "The Bachelorette" Season 16.

© ABC/Craig Sjodin
Clare Crawley meets Riley on night one of “The Bachelorette” Season 16.

Instead of the cast traveling the world, or even throughout the California area, all of the Bachelorette filming took place at the La Quinta Resort and Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. It’s located in La Quinta, California, which is super-close to Indio, where Coachella usually takes place. So, next time you’re headed to the music festival (whenever it resumes, post-COVID), you might want to check it out, to get a slice of that Bachelorette lifestyle. Why exactly producers of The Bachelorette chose to

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Chicago Adds Indiana To Coronavirus Travel Quarantine List

CHICAGO — Public health officials Tuesday added Indiana and three other states to the list of coronavirus hotspots on the city’s emergency travel quarantine list.

The travel restriction requirements for folks traveling to and from Indiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island and New Mexico take effect Friday.

Chicago public health commissioner Allison Arwady on Tuesday acknowledged the “obviously” significant addition if Indiana’s addition to the travel quarantine list. She stressed that the mandatory 14-day quarantine applies to anyone traveling between Indiana and Chicago for non-work purposes. Students, regular commuters, essential workers and folks traveling for medical care and parental custody are exempt from the order.

“Indiana has a poorly contained outbreak,” Arwady said Tuesday. She urged Chicagoans to avoid traveling to Indiana and Wisconsin since both states have “poorly contained” coronavirus outbreaks.

The quarantine mandate currently applies to the following locales: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi,

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Indiana, 3 Other States Added To Chicago Travel Quarantine Order As Cases In Hoosier State Continue To Surge

CHICAGO (CBS) — Indiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and New Mexico have been added to the list of states and territories covered by the city’s emergency travel order, which requires people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from COVID-19 hotspots.

Effective Friday, the city’s travel quarantine order now applies to 25 states and Puerto Rico. The list now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

“Chicago residents are strongly advised not to travel to these states,” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.



map

© Provided by CBS Chicago


(Source: Chicago Department of Public Health)

Chicago’s quarantine mandate requires anyone who is arriving in the city from states considered to be COVID-19 hot spots to self-isolate for a minimum

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Last-minute bookings keep afloat India’s travel market

New flight booking data released by Amadeus has revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on flight booking lead times in India since March 2020.  According to Amadeus’ first COVID-19 Travel Insights bulletin, flight booking lead times in India decreased by 68% between March-July 2020 compared to the same period in 2018 and 2019 – the biggest change seen across the APAC region.

The bulletin also found that Indian travellers are currently the most last minute in the region when it comes to booking flights – making flight bookings on average only 10 days before their departure date between March-July 2020.

According to Cyril Tetaz, executive vice president of airlines in Amadeus Asia Pacific, this shift towards last-minute bookings has major implications for how India’s travel industry should begin to think about recovery going into 2021.

“We expected that a greater number of passengers would prefer to book

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Royal Caribbean Group announces pricing of $500 million senior convertible notes offering

MIAMI, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) (the “Company”) today announced that it has priced its previously announced private offering of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 2.875% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the “Convertible Notes”). In connection with the offering of the Convertible Notes, the Company granted certain of the initial purchasers of the Convertible Notes a 13-day option to purchase up to an additional $75 million aggregate principal amount of the Convertible Notes. The offering is expected to close on October 16, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the offering to repay its 2.650% Senior Notes due 2020, with the remainder to be used for general corporate purposes.

The Convertible Notes will mature on November 15, 2023, unless earlier converted, redeemed pursuant to a tax redemption or repurchased. The initial conversion rate

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