2 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

2 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

5 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

5 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

16 h. ago 8 dead after goods train slams into a bus outside Mexico City

A goods train slammed into a double-deck bus northwest of Mexico City early Monday, killing at least eight people and injuring 45, authorities said. The accident took place in an industrial area of warehouses and factories in the town of Atlacomulco, about 130km (80 miles) northwest of Mexico City. The state of Mexico’s civil defence agency said via social media that authorities were still working at the site of the accident. The bus from the Herradura de Plata line was ripped apart by the...

Events

17 h. ago Watch: Healing or influence? China sends naval ship to Caribbean

Watch: Healing or influence? China sends naval ship to Caribbean  Straight Arrow News

Politics

18 h. ago Banksy mural of judge beating protester to be removed from outside London court

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts, authorities said on Monday. The mural appeared on Monday and depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned...

Events

18 h. ago Banksy mural of judge beating protester to be removed in London

A new mural by elusive street artist Banksy showing a judge beating an unarmed protester with a gavel will be removed from a wall outside one of London’s most iconic courts, authorities said on Monday. The mural appeared on Monday and depicts a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-splattered placard while a judge in a traditional wig and black gown beats him with a gavel. Banksy posted a photo of the work on Instagram, his usual method of claiming a work as authentic. It was captioned...

Events

20 h. ago 'Unfair, unreasonable': Chinese envoy in Delhi slams US tariffs, invites Indian firms to invest in Beijing

'Unfair, unreasonable': Chinese envoy in Delhi slams US tariffs, invites Indian firms to invest in Beijing  MSN

Economics

21 h. ago China and Russia increasingly working ‘in tandem’ to undermine faith in governance, top Finnish official claims

China and Russia increasingly working ‘in tandem’ to undermine faith in governance, top Finnish official claims  The Guardian

Politics

21 h. ago Russian Media Outlet The Insider: Xi Jinping Holds Military Parade In Beijing Accompanied By Putin And Kim Jong

Russian Media Outlet The Insider: Xi Jinping Holds Military Parade In Beijing Accompanied By Putin And Kim Jong-Un; 'China's Claim To Global Leadership Has Made An Impression Not Because Of Beijing Is Strengthening Itself, But Because Of The Weakeni  MEMRI

Events

23 h. ago At least 60 arrested in Pakistan at protest over suicide attack

Police arrested at least 60 people and deployed tear gas in Pakistan’s poorest province during a strike on Monday, as protesters demanded accountability over a suicide attack claimed by Islamic State (Isis). Businesses shut and demonstrators took to the streets across more than a dozen cities in Balochistan in response to a September 2 bombing at a political rally that killed 15 people. In provincial capital Quetta, police arrested protesters blocking a road and fired tear gas to disperse...

Events

24 h. ago UN human rights chief slams Israel’s ‘mass killing’ of Palestinians in Gaza

The United Nations human rights chief condemned Israel on Monday for its “mass killing” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and “hindering of sufficient life-saving aid”, saying the country had a case to answer before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Volker Turk, who heads the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stopped short of describing the Gaza war as an unfolding genocide, as hundreds of UN staff had urged him to do. But in his opening address to...

Politics

25 h. ago Are ‘unscrupulous’ insurers causing richer Malaysians to seek public hospitals?

Malaysians from the highest income group are increasingly turning to public hospitals for treatment as surging private healthcare costs drive up insurance premiums, with lawmakers and industry professionals warning of more pressure on the national healthcare system. The cost of private healthcare in Malaysia rose by nearly 12 per cent in 2024, well above the global average of about 6 per cent, according to a report on medical trends around the world by professional services firm Aon. A separate...

Politics

28 h. ago India's Oil Demand To Beat China? Report Claims Growth to Outpace Beijing as Urbanisation Drives Consumption

India's Oil Demand To Beat China? Report Claims Growth to Outpace Beijing as Urbanisation Drives Consumption  Times Now

Politics

30 h. ago Malaysian woman who tried to hug Perak’s sultan charged with assault

A 41-year-old woman has been charged with assault in Malaysia after she attempted to embrace the Sultan of Perak last month. The incident, which took place in front of the Ipoh Town Hall at 8.20am on August 31 during Independence Day celebrations, has prompted scrutiny of security arrangements surrounding Malaysia’s royalty. Nurhaswani Afni Mohamad Zorki from Kampung Manjoi appeared before Magistrate Mohd Harith Mohd Mazlan on Monday, where she was formally charged under Section 352 of the Penal...

Events

35 h. ago Why America has always needed an enemy, even as a young republic

It’s rare to find an opinion piece that embodies nearly all the false premises and presuppositions that underpin the American empire, now in undeniable retreat. But Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff to Barack Obama, mayor of Chicago and until recently US ambassador to Japan, has managed to do just that. Writing in The Wall Street Journal on August 31, Emanuel claims that the question today for Americans is: “Can China be the external threat that restores internal cohesion to our...

Politics

35 h. ago #UKRAINERUSSIAWAR. Beijing between Russian gas and Ukrainian influence

#UKRAINERUSSIAWAR. Beijing between Russian gas and Ukrainian influence  agc communication news

Events

35 h. ago US seeks to extend hegemony to outer space by hyping unfounded ‘China threat’ claim

US seeks to extend hegemony to outer space by hyping unfounded ‘China threat’ claim  People's Daily Online

Events

36 h. ago The tariff trap: Why America’s protectionist gambit only tightens China’s grip on global manufacturing

The tariff trap: Why America’s protectionist gambit only tightens China’s grip on global manufacturing  Yahoo News Malaysia

Economics