66 m. ago 7 years’ jail for Singaporean who sexually assaulted jobseeker after dinner

A man reached out to a 21-year-old woman who had declined a job offer from his employer and arranged to meet her for dinner in Singapore. After dinner, they went to a park where the man went into the woman’s toilet cubicle and sexually assaulted her and attempted to get her to perform sex acts on him. The assault was stopped only when the man heard footsteps outside and left in a hurry. The sex offender, 34-year-old Singaporean Choy Zisheng, was sentenced on Monday to seven years’ jail and four...

Events

95 m. ago Arctic Blast Raises China LNG Prices Ahead of February Cold Snap

Arctic Blast Raises China LNG Prices Ahead of February Cold Snap  Bloomberg

Politics

4 h. ago Singapore’s retail ownership data sparks debate about foreign chains’ influence

When Singapore’s trade minister Gan Kim Yong revealed that locals owned nearly 90 per cent of registered retail businesses in the city state while Chinese nationals came in second at a distant 3 per cent, the figures drew mixed reactions from the public and analysts. The discourse online centred on what the statistics implied – critics felt that though the proportion of foreign-owned entities, especially from China, might be minuscule, most could actually be big brands with multiple outlets,...

Politics

6 h. ago Japan’s Tsushima Maru sinking: will recovery of artefacts end silence on WWII tragedy?

More than 80 years after her mother narrowly survived the sinking of the steamer Tsushima Maru, Tsugiko Taira says the wreck still carries profound meaning and believes artefacts recovered from the seabed could give new voice to one of the worst civilian maritime tragedies of World War II. Her comments come as the Japanese government weighs whether to retrieve items from the deep-sea site for possible public display, following a recent seabed survey and remarks by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru...

Events

13 h. ago Explosion at Chinese restaurant in Kabul kills 7, injures a dozen more

An explosion at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said. An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police cars and an ambulance at the scene following the blast on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion happened at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims. “A Chinese Muslim ... and six...

Events

13 h. ago Explosion at Chinese restaurant in Afghan capital Kabul kills 7

A blast at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded more than a dozen others, emergency services said. An Agence France-Presse journalist saw police vehicles and an ambulance at the scene following the explosion on a street known for its flower sellers in the Shahr-e-Naw area. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion occurred at the Chinese Noodle restaurant, which he said mainly served Chinese Muslims. “A Chinese Muslim, Ayub, and...

Events

17 h. ago Punch back or punching bag? EU weighs response to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat

After a weekend of Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. To keep Trump engaged in Ukraine’s war...

Politics

17 h. ago EU weighs response to Trump’s Greenland tariff threat: punch back or punching bag?

After a weekend of Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. To keep Trump engaged in Ukraine’s war...

Politics

17 h. ago Opinion | As China and Canada reset ties, they must strike while the iron is hot

Opinion | As China and Canada reset ties, they must strike while the iron is hot  South China Morning Post

Events

19 h. ago China's transport networks mobilize to ensure safety amid major cold wave

China's transport networks mobilize to ensure safety amid major cold wave  Xinhua

Politics

19 h. ago Yongchun Hosts the "Kung Fu Comes From Yongchun" Fashion Industry Promotion Event in Beijing, Showcasing Incense Culture and Intangible Cultural Heritage

Yongchun Hosts the "Kung Fu Comes From Yongchun" Fashion Industry Promotion Event in Beijing, Showcasing Incense Culture and Intangible Cultural Heritage  Laotian Times

Culture

21 h. ago Silver steps out of gold’s shadow as Southeast Asian investors chase record prices

As silver prices surged past S$100 (US$78) an ounce in recent weeks, Singaporean Faris Ghani saw a long-running bet finally begin to pay off. The 35-year-old relocation consultant has been quietly accumulating the metal since he was 21, betting that silver – long overshadowed by gold – would one day have its moment. That moment appears to have arrived. On Monday, spot silver traded near record highs of about US$94 an ounce, more than tripling from around US$30 an ounce a year earlier. The surge...

Economics

22 h. ago Hong Kong’s Taipan bakery ordered to wind up, Ocean Empire founder declared bankrupt

A Hong Kong court has ordered the winding-up of a bakery chain and declared a co-founder of a now-closed congee restaurant group bankrupt, highlighting the plight of the local retail and catering sectors amid shifting consumer patterns. The High Court on Monday granted a petition to liquidate Vast Luck Company Limited, the parent company of Taipan Bread & Cakes, after the firm failed to repay a debt of an unspecified sum despite repeated requests. Recognised as a top Hong Kong brand for its...

Politics

22 h. ago Fancl distributor couple buys Lippo Centre office, shop in US$38.3 million deal

The couple behind the Asia distributor of Japanese skincare brand Fancl has bought prime office and retail space in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district, highlighting selective bargain hunting by cash-rich local investors as commercial property prices remain under pressure. Gourmet Dining Group, owned by Christopher Chan and wife Michelle Ma-chan, agreed on January 5 to buy a shop and a unit on the first floor as well as part of the mezzanine on the second floor at Lippo Centre for HK$299 million...

Economics

24 h. ago Malaysian reporter’s sedition arrest casts doubts on Anwar’s reform record

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s record on legal reforms has come under scrutiny after a journalist was detained under a colonial-era Sedition Act for asking a “sensitive question” linking the Gaza crisis to the treatment of ethnic Chinese in the Malay-majority country. Rex Tan, 31, a journalist for local news site Free Malaysia Today, was arrested early Saturday morning after he asked the question at a public debate five days earlier in Kuala Lumpur. Tan is being investigated under...

Events

24 h. ago Chinese husband smashes up home after wife buys dishwasher without his consent

A video clip released by a woman in China in which her husband is seen smashing up their home because she bought a 1,500-yuan (US$215) dishwasher has gone viral on social media. The woman, who lives in Guangdong province, southern China, said in a video posted on January 8, that she had bought the machine from an online platform without telling her husband. She said she needed it because the tap water in winter was too cold for her to wash by hand, the Dahe News reported. Her husband does not...

Politics

30 h. ago Boy, 12, ‘fighting for life’ after Sydney Harbour shark attack

A 12-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being mauled by a large shark in Sydney Harbour, Australian police said on Monday. The marine predator struck on Sunday afternoon while the boy and his friends were jumping into the water off the harbour’s Shark Beach. “It was a horrendous scene at the time when police attended. We believe it was something like a bull shark that attacked the lower limbs of that boy,” said Superintendent Joseph McNulty, New South Wales marine area...

Events

31 h. ago Most Singaporeans not upbeat on future of next generation: survey

Just under a third of Singapore residents in a recent survey by global communication firm Edelman believe that the next generation would be better off than the current one – a drop of 11 percentage points from last year’s findings. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 figures showed Singapore as being among four other Asian countries that registered a double-digit decrease, with the city state’s 31 per cent mark just under the global average of 32 per cent for those who responded positively to one...

Politics

32 h. ago Chile declares state of emergency as wildfires kill at least 18 people

Uncontrolled wildfires tore through communities in southern Chile, leaving charred ruins in their wake and at least 18 dead, authorities said on Sunday. More than 50,000 people have been displaced by blazes burning for two days now in the Nuble and Biobio regions about 500 km (300 miles) south of Santiago, fanned by strong winds and hot weather. “We had to leave with the shirts on our back. If we had stayed another 20 minutes we would have burned to death,” Matias Cid, a 25-year-old student in...

Events

37 h. ago China Focus: China ramps up emergency response as severe cold and snow sweep across regions

China Focus: China ramps up emergency response as severe cold and snow sweep across regions  Xinhua

Politics