3 h. ago ‘Quintessence of animal cruelty’: Singapore court doubles cat killer’s sentence

A Singaporean man who pleaded guilty to killing multiple cats by hurling them from high-rise housing blocks has had his jail term nearly doubled after an appeal court ruled his initial sentence was too lenient given the cruelty of his actions. Barrie Lin Pengli, 33, will now serve 27 months in prison – up from the original 14-month sentence handed down earlier this year – following a successful appeal by prosecutors who argued that the case warranted a far harsher penalty. Lin had pleaded guilty...

Events

4 h. ago Off the hook: South Korean fishers forced to dump US$1.9 million of bluefin tuna

A bountiful haul of bluefin tuna by South Korean fishers earlier this week came with a catch: they had to throw away more than 1,300 tuna valued at about US$1.9 million into the waters after exceeding an annual regional fishing quota. The mass dumping has sparked calls from the local industry for more flexibility in balancing between fulfilling obligations on fishing limits and maritime conservation. The tuna was accidentally caught by fixed nets meant to trap smaller species like mackerel and...

Economics

7 h. ago BYD makes safety pledge for cars with proprietary assisted driving in China

BYD makes safety pledge for cars with proprietary assisted driving in China  Reuters

Transport

11 h. ago Malaysian police hunt Hindu priest accused of molesting beauty queen

Malaysian police have launched a manhunt for a Hindu priest accused of molesting a beauty queen under the pretence of giving her a blessing at a temple. The incident occurred last Saturday at Mariamman Temple in Sepang, a short distance from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It only came to light when the victim, actor and television host Lishalliny Kanaran, decided to go public with her allegations on Tuesday, sharing them on social media. The suspect is believed to be an Indian national...

Politics

13 h. ago Top Chinese oncologist and director of Jilin Cancer Hospital, Cheng Ying, dies

A top Chinese oncologist and physician-scientist, Cheng Ying, has died suddenly aged 62, according to multiple sources. There has been no official statement about the doctor’s death, and the cause of death is not known. Cheng was director of the Jilin Cancer Hospital and according to their outpatient records, she last appeared at the specialist team clinic she led on the morning of July 2. Subsequently, her appointment schedule was removed from the hospital’s outpatient information sheet, and...

Events

30 h. ago Malaysia’s Rosmah wins US$23,600 damages over black magic claims by TikTokker

Former Malaysian first lady Rosmah Mansor has won 100,000 ringgit (US$23,600) in damages in a defamation case against a TikTokker who uploaded a video claiming that she had dabbled in black magic. The Kuala Lumpur High Court said on Tuesday that Rosmah had proven her claim against 35-year-old Ku Muhammad Hilmie Ku Din. “This global award comprises general and aggravated damages,” Justice Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh said during the damages assessment hearing, according to a report by local daily...

Events

32 h. ago Malaysian sisters wed foreigners, communicate with gestures, spark online hilarity

Three Malaysian sisters have caused online hilarity after they married men from different countries, forcing their family to break the language barriers by using gestures and facial expressions. The women's father, Razali Yusof, 85, from Perak in northwestern Malaysia, says they married men from Britain, Egypt and Pakistan, according to local media outlet Harian Metro. Razali said that neither he nor his wife speaks English, and none of his sons-in-law speak Malay. This means the family has to...

Politics

32 h. ago Bomb found in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui, prompting police to seal off busy road

A bomb has been found in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui, prompting police to cordon off busy Granville Road and call in explosive disposal experts. The force said on Tuesday that the bomb was discovered at a construction site on Mody Road near the west area of the Urban Council Centenary Garden in East Tsim Sha Tsui at 12.10pm. Witnesses said that about 40 workers were evacuated after the bomb was discovered as Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers arrived at the scene. According to Google Maps, the...

Events

32 h. ago Suspected bomb found in Hong Kong, busy road temporarily sealed off

A suspected bomb has been found in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui, prompting police to temporarily cordon off busy Granville Road and call in explosive disposal experts. The force said on Tuesday that it was discovered at a construction site on Mody Road near the west area of Urban Council Centenary Garden in East Tsim Sha Tsui at 12.10pm. Witnesses said that about 40 workers were evacuated after the alleged bomb was discovered as Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers arrived at the scene. According...

Events

32 h. ago Bomb scare in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui turns out to be false alarm

A bomb alert in Hong Kong’s Tsim Sha Tsui has turned out to be a false alarm, after police confirmed the object found at a construction site was a cannon barrel. The British cannon barrel, which prompted the force to temporarily cordon off busy Granville Road and call in explosive disposal experts, was discovered on Mody Road near the west area of Urban Council Centenary Garden in East Tsim Sha Tsui at 12.10pm on Tuesday. The barrel measures around 15cm (5.9 inches) in diameter and about 4...

Events

32 h. ago Hong Kong ‘bomb’ turns out to be cannon barrel that could date to 19th century

A British-made cannon barrel discovered in Tsim Sha Tsui on Tuesday could date to the 19th century and is the city’s first such archaeological find in nearly two decades. The barrel, which prompted the force to temporarily cordon off busy Granville Road and call in explosive disposal experts, was discovered on Mody Road near the west area of Urban Council Centenary Garden in East Tsim Sha Tsui at 12.10pm on Tuesday. The barrel measures around 15cm (5.9 inches) in diameter and about four metres...

Events

32 h. ago Malaysia seeks urgent trade talks with US after 25% tariff blow

Malaysia will press ahead with talks towards a “comprehensive” trade agreement with the United States, its trade ministry has said, as Kuala Lumpur races to soften the blow of a newly imposed 25 per cent tariff on its exports unveiled by US President Donald Trump. On Monday, Trump revealed he had sent letters to leaders of 14 countries announcing tariffs ranging from 25 to 40 per cent, in an apparent gambit to accelerate trade negotiations. The new 25 per cent tariff on Malaysian goods is one...

Politics

33 h. ago Malaysian girl recalls father’s message before bodies found in submerged car

The sole surviving member of a family of seven who drowned when their car plunged into a river in Kedah last week has recalled seeing her father in a dream, telling her not to be sad, in a tragedy that has gripped Malaysia. Putri Qisya Nur Izzat, 12, had stayed behind at her grandmother’s house on the day of the accident. She recounted on Monday dreaming of her father, 32-year-old Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak, who told her he could only watch over her from afar. “Dad said, don’t be sad or I won’t be...

Events

37 h. ago Chinese design firm converts swimming pool into office, triggers safety probe

A Chinese decoration company has sparked online controversy and amusement after it converted a drained swimming pool into a temporary office. Staff get down to business in the “deep end” before exiting the office using the original poolside ladders. The quirky set-up came to light after an employee from Luban Decoration Group, based in Chengdu, Sichuan province, southwestern China, posted a video online entitled “Swimming Pool Transformed into Office Space”. The clip quickly went...

Politics

38 h. ago Death threats and harassment: Hong Kong couple’s ordeal with loan sharks

When his health supplement business struggled with cash-flow problems, Bobby Tan* turned to a so-called professional networking group in Hong Kong for help, borrowing HK$300,000 (US$38,220) from a licensed small lender in April last year. Over the next 10 months, the Hong Kong permanent resident from Southeast Asia continued to take on more debt, borrowing from 30 different licensed moneylenders for a total of HK$5.05 million. Each lender charged him an illicit upfront “commission” of 15 to 30...

Events

54 h. ago Marriages of inconvenience: the remote Indian village cut off from love

In the heart of southern India, where dense forests eclipse the sun, the villagers of Jondalgatti have not celebrated a wedding in more than a decade. The culprit, villagers say, is not tradition or fate, but the simple absence of a road. Home to around 200 people, the tiny village in Karnataka state is now a place where eligible bachelors linger in limbo. Twenty young men, all of marrying age, have spent years searching for partners willing to brave the village’s isolation. “Some youths have...

Politics

57 h. ago Malaysia’s judicial crisis: Anwar’s party members want him to ‘clear the air’

Senior Malaysian lawmakers are calling for both a royal inquiry and a parliamentary investigation into Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over alleged irregularities in judicial appointments, warning that such actions risk plunging the country’s judiciary into scandal once again. Last week, Anwar’s administration declined to extend the tenure of widely respected chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim. This leaves the future leadership of the...

Events

57 h. ago Cyclist injured after Hong Kong tour bus crashes into road dividers

A cyclist has been injured after a tour bus lost control and hit road divider fences in Hong Kong’s Sha Tin. According to police, the cyclist reported the traffic accident at the junction of Fo Tan Road and Tai Chung Kiu Road at around 6.08am on Monday. The 48-year-old sustained injuries to his face and hands and was sent to a nearby hospital, while the bus driver, 63, was unharmed. A dashcam video circulating online showed that the bus was turning right onto Fo Tan Road from Tai Chung Kiu Road....

Events

59 h. ago Malaysian police hunt Pakistani man accused of child sex abuse

Malaysian police are on the hunt for a foreign man accused of sexually assaulting three boys and a teenager over the past three months in suburbs just outside the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The crimes were allegedly carried out in two adjacent neighbourhoods in the city of Shah Alam, a predominantly Malay-Muslim enclave about 30km (19 miles) from the capital. Police believe the suspect, whose last known address was a flat in the city, is still in the country. “To date, the number of victims...

Events

59 h. ago China ready to promote flagship Belt and Road project, boost trade, investment with Ethiopia: Premier Li

China ready to promote flagship Belt and Road project, boost trade, investment with Ethiopia: Premier Li  China Daily

Politics