2 h. ago Malaysian society is polarised but can overcome challenges: Anthony Loke

Malaysia may have become more polarised amid intense race rhetoric and systemic problems, but individuals have agency to do their part and private companies have a role to play in ensuring deeper ethnic integration, Transport Minister Anthony Loke has said. Speaking to Malaysians living in Hong Kong at an event organised by the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau on Wednesday night, Loke noted that although their country was divided along class and education lines with social media...

Politics

4 h. ago Malaysia calls on China to push C919 jet globally as AirAsia circles deal

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke has called on the Chinese state-owned maker of the C919 passenger jet to set its sights on the global market and be more aggressive in boosting its international standing, as AirAsia nears a deal to become its first foreign buyer. Loke made the comments on Wednesday while speaking at a Malaysian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong and Macau (Maycham) event, where he outlined a series of updates on his country’s transport industry – from air travel to...

Politics

9 h. ago Where is Malaysia’s Pamela Ling? Few clues 5 months after kidnap drama

Five months after she was snatched from a car in broad daylight in Malaysia, little is known about the disappearance of Pamela Ling, with a “chilling” lack of clarity in the case sparking calls for a wider investigation. Ling, 42, was kidnapped on April 9 by three people believed to have impersonated police, forcing her into their vehicle after stopping her private hire car on the highway not far from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters. The victim was on her way to the...

Events

11 h. ago South Koreans to leave US without handcuffs after arrest causes ‘great pain’

Hundreds of South Korean workers detained in a surprise raid in Georgia last week will be allowed to fly home on Thursday after the two countries’ top diplomats met in Washington and agreed to resolve a dispute that has roiled bilateral ties. President Donald Trump agreed to South Korean demands that the workers not be handcuffed, and the US will consider creating a new visa category to prevent future problems, according to Yonhap News. It said 330 people, almost all of them South Korean, will...

Events

12 h. ago To end Hong Kong’s procurement failures, overhaul civil service culture

Hong Kong’s bottled water procurement scandal has garnered widespread public attention. Beyond the immediate concerns over the process and contract management, it offers an opportunity to reflect more broadly on civil service culture. The episode should be viewed not only as a problem to resolve but also as an opportunity to promote attentiveness, ownership and flexibility in public administration. The 2025 tender awarded contracts mainly based on the lowest bid. Requirements were described as...

Events

22 h. ago Israel intercepts missile fired by Houthis after deadly strikes on Yemen

Israel’s army said it had intercepted a missile on Thursday fired from Yemen, a day after Israeli forces carried out air strikes there that killed 35 people and wounded more than 130. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the missile attack on Israel. But the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel since their Palestinian ally Hamas’ October 2023 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war. “Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several...

Events

25 h. ago Miss Philippines Earth blasts flood corruption, says crown not worth her silence

The newly crowned Miss Philippines Earth’s sharp-tongued posts about her country’s deepening flood control corruption scandal have earned her both praise and warnings that she could lose her crown. Joy Barcoma has become an unexpected commentator on the growing political controversy, weighing in with biting humour and fierce advocacy that has won her a legion of new fans who refer to her as “my queen”. Some have urged Barcoma to stay silent to preserve her shot at the international title, but...

Events

25 h. ago China approves nature reserve at disputed South China Sea shoal claimed by the Philippines

China approves nature reserve at disputed South China Sea shoal claimed by the Philippines  Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Politics

26 h. ago Can Malaysia become Southeast Asia’s top aircraft maintenance hub?

Malaysia’s bid to become Southeast Asia’s top aircraft maintenance hub hinges on how fast it can ramp up capacity, industry players say, as the country races to secure a greater share of the region’s booming aviation support market. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government has set a high bar: it wants Malaysia to capture 50 per cent of Southeast Asia’s aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market by 2030 – overtaking current leader Singapore. The target is seen as ambitious but not...

Politics

28 h. ago China approves nature reserve at contested Scarborough Shoal

China has approved the establishment of a nature reserve at the Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory in the South China Sea, a decision that could escalate tensions with rival claimant the Philippines. The move comes months after China published a set of geographic coordinates for 16 base points around the feature, which it calls Huangyan Island and is known as the Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. Beijing has controlled the sea feature since a stand-off with the Philippines in 2012. The...

Politics

28 h. ago Pacific Islands leaders call for ‘ocean of peace’ but face rough seas at summit

Pacific Island leaders issued a call for an “ocean of peace” on Wednesday, urging respect for their sovereignty at a summit clouded by China’s alleged meddling and great power competition in the strategically vital region. After a day of largely closed-door talks in the Solomon Islands capital of Honiara, the 18 Pacific Islands Forum leaders endorsed a Fiji-backed push for a statement proclaiming the region’s cohesion and its desire for peace and climate action. A heavy police presence guarded...

Politics

31 h. ago Hong Kong slams European Commission report over ‘unfounded and biased’ criticism

Hong Kong has hit back at the European Commission’s annual report, which claimed the city’s autonomy and freedoms were in “continued erosion”, citing the enactment of domestic national security legislation and the high-profile trials of opposition activists. The Hong Kong government on Tuesday evening said it “strongly disapproved of and rejected the unfounded and biased content” of the report and urged the European Union to cease interfering in the city’s affairs. “The HKSAR Government strongly...

Events

48 h. ago Extending Hongkongers’ UK settlement period to 10 years a ‘breach of trust’: MP

The UK Home Office minister has said that the proposal to extend the settlement period for Hongkongers from five to ten years is subject to consultation, but their economic contribution remains ‘huge and lasting’. Other parliamentarians in the debate agreed that Hongkongers should be exempt from the proposed extension announced by British authorities in May. They argued this change would be a betrayal of trust by moving the goalposts and would delay access to lower university tuition fees in the...

Politics

48 h. ago Changing Hongkongers’ UK settlement period to 10 years ‘subject to consultation’

A UK Home Office minister has said that a proposal to extend the settlement period for Hongkongers from five to 10 years is subject to consultation, but their economic contribution is “huge and lasting”. Other parliamentarians in the debate agreed that Hongkongers should be exempt from the proposed extension announced by British authorities in May. They argued this change would be a betrayal of trust by moving the goalposts and would delay access to lower university tuition fees in the UK and...

Politics

51 h. ago China debuts instant tax refunds for tourists through overseas e

China has introduced its first tax refund service via overseas e-wallets, allowing travellers departing from Shenzhen to instantly claim refunds as part of Beijing’s broader efforts to boost inbound tourism. Backed by the Shenzhen Taxation Bureau and the local branch of the People’s Bank of China, Ant International’s Alipay+ global payment platform partnered with tax refund agent Guangdong Huaxing Bank to launch the service on Monday, the city government announced on its official social media...

Politics

52 h. ago Philippine contractors allege political bribery in flood control scandal

Two contractors at the centre of the Philippines’ growing flood control scandal have named nearly 20 lawmakers and government officials they accuse of demanding kickbacks and offered to turn state witnesses, but legal experts say their alleged role in the scheme could undermine their plea for immunity. In sworn testimony presented to the Senate on Monday, Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya – a married couple – claimed that corrupt politicians and Department of Public Works and...

Events

55 h. ago ‘Prosperity for generations’: Malaysia urges Hong Kong to tap Asean ‘as a bloc’

Business leaders and governments should think of Asean as a bloc with nearly 700 million people and an emerging middle class instead of individual countries when considering the vast trade potential of the region, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday. While Hong Kong was essential to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as an international financial hub that promoted technological innovation with a well-regarded legal system, the bloc could also offer great...

Politics

55 h. ago Malaysia tightens security at Petronas’ Bintulu LNG hub to investigate ‘threat’

Malaysia’s National Security Council has ordered a temporary tightening of security at Petronas’ massive gas facility in Borneo and launched an immediate investigation into what it described as a “threat” to the critical energy infrastructure. The NSC on Monday said it was taking “proactive measures” in response to security threats targeting liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities nationwide, with a particular focus on the complex in Bintulu, a town in the Bornean state of Sarawak. “The Malaysian...

Events

59 h. ago Murdoch family settles succession dispute as Lachlan gets media empire

The Murdoch family has reached a deal that will see Rupert Murdoch’s politically conservative eldest son Lachlan Murdoch cement control of the family media empire that includes Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. The agreement, announced on Monday, ends a family brawl over who would control one of the most high-profile global media groups and puts to rest questions of succession within the Murdoch family after its patriarch’s death. The drama was considered to be one of the inspirations for...

Politics

61 h. ago Viral Coldplay ‘kiss cam’ incident leads to divorce after corporate fallout

Kristin Cabot, the woman seen cuddling with former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron during a Coldplay concert, has now filed for divorce. Cabot filed the petition in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on August 13, according to court documents obtained by NBC News. This comes one month after Cabot, who also worked for Astronomer, stepped down from her role as the company’s head of human resources. “I can confirm that Kristin Cabot is no longer with Astronomer,” a representative told NBC in July. “She has...

Politics