NEW YORK (Reuters) – Two Federal Reserves may express their dissent next week if the Federal Reserve decides to lower key U.S. interest rates for the first time in a decade, which traders are betting it will do, Barclays U.S. economists said on Thursday. Kansas City Fed President Esther George and Boston Fed chief Eric […]
JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia’s state energy firm Pertamina said on Thursday (July 25) that it will take weeks to plug an oil spill at its Offshore North West Java (ONWJ) facility, which has reached the northern coast of Java island. The incident started on July 12, when natural gas was released during drilling at one […]
SINGAPORE – For local fashion designer Yang Derong, the vintage dragon playgrounds once ubiquitous in the 1980s bring back fond childhood memories. The iconic playground is his personal favourite out of the handful of Singapore icons that inspired this year’s Orchid Extravaganza to celebrate National Day. Mr Yang, 54, who is also art director for […]
A 54-year-old Chinese woman who was once hailed as a philanthropist for adopting 118 children has been sentenced to 20 years in jail. Li Yanxia was found guilty at Wu’an Court in Hebei province on Wednesday of extortion, fraud, forgery and disturbing social order. The former orphanage owner, who was once nicknamed “Love Mother”, was […]
BANGKOK (REUTERS) – The launch of facial recognition technology at two Indian airports and plans to place it in police stations have stoked fears over privacy and increased surveillance among human rights groups in the country. The “paperless biometric technology” launched in Bengaluru airport this week identifies passengers by their face, doing away with the […]
SINGAPORE – A 36-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday (July 23) for allegedly making at least four prank calls to the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). These calls were made between June 11 and July 20, when the man claimed that a fire or an attempted suicide had happened in Chai Chee Road […]
JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Many Malaysian job seekers are expected to cross over to Singapore as the Republic moves to create up to 10,000 jobs in the technology sector within the next three years. Singapore last month launched Digital Industry Singapore, which will spearhead the city state’s plans to become a global hub for the industry, […]
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian universities are being investigated over their contracts with Chinese-state run Confucius Institutes, officials said Thursday (July 25), amid fresh revelations over the scope of Beijing’s control of teaching in the centres. Education Minister Dan Tehan said the government was looking at whether deals between 13 Australian universities and the Confucius Institutes […]
Prayuth Chan-ocha says government will focus on monarchy, economic growth and developing medical cannabis industry. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former junta leader, faced opposition questions in parliament for the first time on Thursday as he set out his plans for government. Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup, but held onto the post […]
BANGKOK (REUTERS) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha faced opposition questions in parliament for the first time on Thursday (July 25) as the former junta leader set out his government’s plans. Mr Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup, but has stayed on as prime minister after a general election in March held under a […]