KUALA LUMPUR: Fresh out of quarantine, Malaysian artiste Wee Meng Chee, 37, better known as Namewee, surrendered himself at the Dang Wangi police station in central Kuala Lumpur on Monday (Mar 22).  In a Facebook post on Monday morning, Namewee s...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday (Mar 22) announced it had established a US$2.4 million compensation fund to provide cash assistance for any COVID-19 vaccine recipients who suffer severe reactions due to inoculations. Malaysia has inoculated nearly ...

KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia was hailed as a "hero" on Monday (Mar 22) after winning the All England Open and igniting Malaysia's hopes of success at the Tokyo Olympics, even without retired legend Lee Chong Wei. The young Malaysian star defeated Denm...

Japan charges Americans with helping Ghosn flee, jump bail

TAIPEI: Many Asian countries are accelerating the roll-out of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after confidence in its safety was hit, following reports that the shot was linked to rare blood clots in Europe earlier this month. After briefly halting i...

HONG KONG: Eight activists detained at sea as they sought to flee Hong Kong by speedboat have finished serving jail sentences in China and are expected to be handed over on Monday (Mar 22) to authorities in Hong Kong, where they may face further pros...

Toshiko Ishii spent US$180,000 renovating her traditional Japanese inn in expectation of a flood of tourists for the Tokyo Olympics, but now she won't be hosting a single overseas fan.

SYDNEY: Australia's parliament debated on Monday (Mar 22) a motion to condemn "systematic breaches" of human rights by China, saying other legislatures had described as genocide its actions towards Uighurs in the far western region of Xinjiang. Parl...

India's richest state, Maharashtra, reported 30,535 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours.

Myanmar activists plan fresh protests on Monday (Mar 22) including a call for vehicle convoys to drive through intersections honking horns with occupants raising three-finger anti-coup salutes despite reports of security forces killing more people at...

TAIPEI: Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 shot on Monday (Mar 22) as the island began its vaccination campaign. "I have just finished getting the injection, there is no pain at the injection site, and there is no sorene...

China reported seven new COVID-19 cases on Mar 21, down from 12 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Monday (Mar 22). The National Health Commission said in a statement that all the new cases were imported infections...

SINGAPORE: Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan will make an official visit to Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia from Monday (Mar 22). Dr Balakrishnan will begin his trip in Brunei, with his visit reaffirming the "close and longstanding sp...

BEIJING: The trial of Michael Kovrig, who has been held in China for more than two years on espionage charges, is under way in Beijing in a closed courtroom, days after the United States raised concerns over his case at tense bilateral talks with Ch...

WASHINGTON: A North Korean citizen was taken into US custody on Saturday (Mar 20) after being extradited from Malaysia to face money laundering charges, making him the first North Korean extradited to the US to face trial. Mun Chol Myong was in th...

Social media movements such as the Milk Tea Alliance are tapping into discontent on the decline of democracy and fears about the rise of China is part of this heady mix, says an ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute Visiting Fellow.

Churches in Manila will be closed, eating inside restaurants banned and leisure travel outside the Philippine capital curbed under new COVID-19 rules unveiled on Sunday (Mar 21) as the country battles a resurgence in infections.

BEIJING: China had administered 74.96 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Saturday (Mar 20), health commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a news briefing on Sunday. That compared with about 65 million doses administered as of Mar 14, or an add...

More than 30 civilians and police were injured in Thai anti-government protests, an emergency medical centre said on Sunday (Mar 21), after police used water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the rally the night before.

Tighter regulations, billions in lost overseas share value and government pledges to get even tougher -- Chinese tech giants are reeling under what looks like a sustained Big Brother assault on innovation and enterprise.

North Korean diplomats leaving Malaysia after ties are severed

AstraZeneca said on Sunday its COVID-19 vaccine contains no pork-derived ingredients, countering an assertion in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, that the drug violates Islamic law.

China reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on March 20, up from 4 cases a day earlier, the country's national health authority said on Sunday.

MANILA: The Philippines on Sunday (Mar 21) accused China of "incursion" after more than 200 militia boats were spotted near a disputed reef in the South China Sea, in a rare rebuke of its superpower neighbour. The Philippine coast guard detected th...

Opponents of Myanmar's military rule, many in small towns across the country, staged candle-lit protests on Saturday night and into Sunday in defiance of crackdowns by the security forces and the killing of nearly 250 people since the Feb. 1 coup.

BEIJING: China and the United States will set up a joint working group on climate change, China's official Xinhua news agency said, in a potentially positive takeaway from what was an unusually rancorous high-level meeting. The top Chinese and US d...

With tensions spilling over in public, the US and China’s frosty diplomatic meeting is a sign of things to come, says Bert Hofman.

Beijing can’t extend influence with vaccines if it doesn’t address the deeper issues of transparency and legitimacy, says an ISEAS-Yushof Ishak Institute researcher.

KUALA LUMPUR: Carolyn Lau and Lydia Lubon from the Free Tree Society (FTS) were getting a trio of first-time participants ready for a tree-planting session at Federal Hill, a hill behind the upscale Bangsar neighbourhood. This is the first trail pl...

Tesla boss Elon Musk strongly denied Saturday that his cars, which gather large amounts of data, could ever be used to spy on China despite fears raised by Beijing, the Wall Street Journal reported.

JAKARTA: Indonesian tourism and creative economy minister Sandiaga Uno said on Saturday (Mar 20) that preparations can begin for a “safe travel corridor” between Singapore, Batam Nongsa and Bintan Lagoi. In a meeting with officials in Batam, the...

Pakistan court condemns 2 men to death in highway rape case

BANGKOK: Thailand’s army has denied supplying rice to units of Myanmar’s armed forces and said on Saturday (Mar 20) any food being sent over the border was part of normal trade. Myanmar's military is facing international condemnation over a Feb...

BANGKOK: Thai police used water cannon and charged toward protesters who had gathered near the King's Palace in Bangkok on Saturday (Mar 20) to call for the release of protest leaders and demand reform of the monarchy. Hundreds of police in riot ...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for COVID-19 two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said on Saturday (Mar 20), urging people not to be deterred from getting vaccinated. Pakistan's vacc...

TOKYO: Japan's meteorological agency issued a tsunami advisory on Saturday (Mar 20), after a strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast, hitting areas devastated by the 2011 disaster. The advisory was later lifted about an hou...

NEW DELHI: Top defence officials from India and the United States pledged on Saturday (Mar 20) to expand their military engagement, underscoring the strengthening defence ties between two countries concerned over China's growing influence in the Indo...

MANILA: The Philippines on Saturday (Mar 20) recorded 7,999 new COVID-19 infections, the second straight day that the country posted a record high in daily cases. In a bulletin, the health ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 656,056 wh...

KUALA LUMPUR: North Korea's decision to sever diplomatic ties with Malaysia has not affected the country's economy, said Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz on Saturday (Mar 20). According to the minister, it is because North Korea's contribu...

Opponents of Myanmar's coup protested again on Saturday (Mar 20) as international pressure on the military junta to halt its repression of pro-democracy supporters increased, with Asian neighbours joining Western countries in condemning lethal force....

Olympic organisers meet Saturday for talks expected to bar overseas fans from this summer's pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games, in a bid to reduce virus risks and win over a sceptical public.

SHANGHAI: China's first local coronavirus case since February was a staff worker at a hospital and had received two shots of a vaccine between end-January and early February, state media reported on Saturday (Mar 20). The patient, identified by her...

UN says no international staff left in North Korea

KUALA LUMPUR: The congestion at the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore will be resolved, says the Malaysian Immigration Department on Saturday (Mar 20). Its director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud said that it will station eight officers in ...

Myanmar garment workers urge global brands to denounce coup

SHANGHAI: China reported four new COVID-19 cases on Mar 19, the country's national health authority said on Saturday (Mar 20). The National Health Commission said all the new cases were imported from abroad. The number of new asymptomatic cases, wh...

YANGON: Two more journalists were detained in Myanmar on Friday (Mar 19), part of the junta’s intensifying efforts to choke off information about resistance to last month’s coup. Mizzima News reported that one of its former reporters, Than Htike...

Despite the Myanmar people’s sheer determination for democracy, there are a number of possible scenarios that could emerge from these protests, says Nicola S Williams.

JAKARTA: Dengan indera penciumannya yang tajam, Bailey kerap ditemukan sedang mengendus tas dan koper bawaan penumpang serta puluhan truk yang sedang melewati pelabuhan kapal yang menghubungkan dua pulau terbesar di Indonesia. Anjing ini juga kerap ...

JAKARTA: With her sharp sense of smell, Bailey can often be found sniffing out passengers’ suitcases and bags as well as dozens of trucks passing through a busy ferry harbour connecting two of Indonesia’s biggest islands. She is sometimes flown...

Lee Zii Jia shocked two-time world champion Kento Momota to reach the semi-finals of the All England Open on Friday.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted angrily Friday to the closed-door trial of a Canadian man detained in China for more than two years on espionage charges, dismissing it as "completely unacceptable."

Senior U.S. and Chinese officials are set to conclude their talks in Alaska on Friday after a dramatic opening round laid bare the depth of tensions between the world's two largest economies at the outset of the Biden administration.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has directed several importers to recall eggs from Linggi Agriculture in Malaysia, after detecting the presence of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the product. This is the second time in a week that SFA has ...

An Indian-born blockchain entrepreneur has revealed himself as the mystery buyer who paid a record $69.3 million for a digital artwork last week, describing his purchase as a shot fired for racial equality.

The South Korean capital on Friday (Mar 19) withdrew its mandate that all foreign workers in the city be tested for the coronavirus — an order that had caused huge lines at testing centers and prompted accusations of discrimination.

Taiwan will begin its COVID-19 vaccination programme on Monday, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said on Friday, using AstraZeneca Plc shots that were approved for use this week by the government.

PENANG: Star Cruises will resume sailing in Malaysia on May 13, in a move aimed at revitalising the domestic tourism industry. In a joint press release on Friday (Mar 17), Genting Cruise Lines and Penang Port announced plans to offer two itinerarie...

New coronavirus infections in the Philippines hit a record high on Friday, health officials said, as pandemic restrictions were tightened in the capital to combat the resurgence in cases.

SINGAPORE: Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said on Friday (Mar 19) that he is evaluating an opportunity to own a stake in Manchester United Football Club.  In a press conference, he said: “I know there is an opening for Manchester...

Singapore and Taiwan are in talks about a possible travel bubble, Taiwan’s Health Minister Chen Shih-chung reportedly said on Thursday (Mar 18). Singapore relaxed restrictions on arrivals from Taiwan in December, allowing travellers from the isla...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's foreign ministry on Friday (Mar 19) denounced a decision by North Korea to sever diplomatic ties, describing the move as "unfriendly and unconstructive". In a statement, the ministry said Malaysia would close its embassy in ...

A group of Myanmar policemen recounted their escape to India after defying the Myanmar army's orders to shoot people who oppose the Feb 1 coup in the southeast Asian country.

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s most influential Islamic organisation said AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is “haram” or forbidden for Muslims, but its use can be temporarily permitted due to a lack of alternatives. The Indonesian Council of Ulema or ...

Thailand's COVID-19 task force said on Friday it will ban for a second year the street water fights that usually take place during celebrations for the upcoming Thai New Year due to the pandemic.

Roads out of Myanmar's biggest city were choked Friday with people fleeing the junta's deadly crackdown on anti-coup dissent, as authorities in neighbouring Thailand said they were preparing for an influx of refugees.

India's wealthiest state Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai recorded on Friday the most daily coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, stoking a new nationwide wave.

DANDONG: China on Friday (Mar 19) put on trial one of two Canadians held for more than two years in apparent retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a senior Chinese telecom executive. Canada said its consular officials were refused permission to atten...

Ousted Myanmar lawmakers are exploring whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) can investigate any crimes against humanity committed since the Feb 1 coup, as an activist group said three more people had died in clashes with security forces. M...

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday (Mar 19) called for democracy to be restored and violence to be halted in Myanmar and for Southeast Asian leaders to hold a high-level meeting to discuss the situation there. "I will immediately ca...

The Philippines has approved Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.

China to open 1st trial of Canadians held on spy charges

VANCOUVER: Lawyers for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on Thursday (Mar 19) accused Canadian authorities of destroying evidence, saying federal police wiped the emails and computers of a senior officer involved in her extradition case. Meng, the Chine...

Myanmar factory attacks put focus on Chinese influence

ANCHORAGE, Alaska: China's actions "threaten the rules-based order that maintains global stability", US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday (Mar 18) at the opening of a two-day meeting with Chinese counterparts in Alaska. The US side ...

Lee Chong Wei may be the biggest sporting name in Malaysia, but it is the stories of Malaysian trailblazers that draw the most envy especially from across the causeway, says Jan Lin Lee.

JAKARTA: Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is notorious for its traffic congestion, which is often cited as one of the worst in the world.  With people typically spending a minimum of two hours on the road, getting to Soekarno-Hatta International air...

SEOUL: North Korea said it would sever diplomatic relations with Malaysia after a court there ruled that a North Korean man could be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges, in a foreign ministry statement carried on state n...

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl claims it is "nonsense" for Japan forward Takumi Minamino to be asked to travel for international duty during the coronavirus pandemic.

Protesters in Myanmar fear they are being tracked with Chinese facial recognition technology, as spiralling violence and street surveillance spark fears of a "digital dictatorship" to replace ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Hundreds of people have fled Myanmar's towns and cities since last month's military coup and are sheltering in areas controlled by ethnic militias on the Thai border, an official from one of the groups said on Thursday, as Thailand prepared for a sur...

Indonesian police say new JI cell was recruiting, training

Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces fresh corruption charges from the ruling junta that her lawyer said Thursday were "groundless" but could ensure she would never be able to return to politics.

China's Jiangsu FC have withdrawn from the Asian Champions League following their financial collapse, officials said Thursday, in another sign they are on the brink of being disbanded.

China reported one confirmed local coronavirus case on Thursday, health authorities said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s first face-to-face meeting with Chinese officials offers limited incentives for a diplomatic reset, but climate action and maritime leadership could serve as openings, ...

Pakistan has reversed a decision which had allowed uncapped prices for COVID-19 vaccines imported by private firms, Health Minister Faisal Sultan said on Thursday.

The creative director for Tokyo's Olympic ceremonies announced his resignation on Thursday for proposing a plus-size female comedian appear as a pig, just weeks after the postponed Games' chief stepped down in a sexism row.

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has backed the federal government's decision to appeal against a court's ruling to overturn a decades-old official ban and allow Christians in the country to use "Allah" to refer to God. Last week...

HONG KONG: Aircraft mechanic Don Yip is one of many thousands leaving Hong Kong after the imposition of a new security law last year and protests in 2019. Unlike many others, he won't leave without his pets. Yip, 40, spent more than US$14,000 moving...

Thailand's parliament has failed to pass a bill that would have allowed changes to a military-backed constitution enacted after a 2014 coup, stalling a move by lawmakers to address a key demand of mass street protests last year.

SEOUL: Authorities in the South Korean capital defended on Thursday (Mar 18) a decision to order coronavirus tests for all foreign workers on penalty of fines, as calls grew for the controversial measure to be rescinded. At least one lawmaker of the...

Southampton's Takumi Minamino and eight other Europe-based players were Thursday named in Japan's squad for next week's friendly against South Korea in Yokohama.

MUMBAI: New COVID-19 infections in India rose by the most in more than three months as a second wave of the epidemic gathered momentum, with Maharashtra, the country's richest state, accounting for two-thirds of the latest daily tally. Home to India...

Myanmar faced growing isolation on Thursday (Mar 18) with increasingly limited Internet services and its last private newspaper ceasing publication as the military built its case against ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Nobel peace laureate...

TAIPEI: A top Taiwanese official issued a plea on Thursday (Mar 18) for people to stop changing their name to "salmon" after dozens made the unusual move to take advantage of a restaurant promotion. In a phenomenon that has been dubbed "Salmon Chaos...

PARIS: French senators are free to meet whomever they wish when they travel, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday (Mar 17) after the Chinese embassy in Paris warned against lawmakers meeting officials during an upcoming visit to Taiwan. ...

China’s cyberspace administrator said in a statement on Thursday that it and the public security ministry met with the companies to talk about "security assessments" and potential problems with deepfakes and audio social apps. Kuaishou Technology a...

HONG KONG: Hong Kong health authorities have defended the practice of physically restraining some babies and children to beds in COVID-19 isolation wards after criticism built over the treatment of families under the city's strict anti-virus measures...

LONDON: Badminton world No 1 Kento Momota made a winning return to international action at the COVID-19-affected All England Open on Wednesday (Mar 17), while Indonesia's team were forced to withdraw after a passenger on their flight to Britain teste...