An Australian student released after being mysteriously detained in North Korea said he was safe and well in Tokyo on Friday and intends returning to normal life, without commenting on what happened to him in Pyongyang. Alek Sigley, who flew to Tokyo on Thursday to join his Japanese wife, had been one of very few […]

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unveiled the budget for 2019/2020 on Friday (July 5), seeking to reverse weakening growth and investment that threaten to take the shine off a recent landslide election victory. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the annual budget statement to Parliament, said the government planned structural reforms […]

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unveiled the budget for 2019/2020 on Friday, seeking to reverse weakening growth and investment that threaten to take the shine off a recent landslide election victory. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the annual budget statement to parliament, said the government planned structural reforms to kickstart […]

In a glaring security lapse, customers of 7-Eleven stores across Japan have lost millions of yen after scammers gained access to their online accounts. The store launched a smartphone app for cashless payments earlier this week without realising the security risk. Around 900 customers have had their accounts compromised and lost a combined 55 million […]

SINGAPORE – The opening of a new $370 million national dental centre in Kent Ridge will significantly increase the capacity for subsidised specialist dental treatment for more severe or complex dental conditions. The National University Centre for Oral Health will also be able to see more patients, nearly 500 a day, which is a 40 […]

SINGAPORE (BLOOMBERG) – As the US looks to enforce sanctions aimed at halting trade with states such as Iran and Venezuela, there’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Ships vanishing from tracking screens, clandestine transfers on the high seas and fake destinations are among some […]

KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) – Malaysia on Friday (July 5) charged the Hollywood producer stepson of former prime minister Najib Razak with money laundering linked to state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Prosecutors brought five money-laundering charges against Riza Aziz, a co-founder of Hollywood production firm Red Granite Pictures, which was behind the Oscar-nominated film The […]

Madam Janet Ong, a 78-year-old housewife, spent five years caring for her husband after he was stricken by dementia. “My late husband got lost quite a few times while he was out – I often worried about where he was and sometimes I cried at night out of stress. But I didn’t ask people to […]

China and Britain are locked in a worsening diplomatic row over Hong Kong, after the United Kingdom summoned the Chinese ambassador and repeated its warning of serious consequences if Beijing defied the “one country, two systems” agreement. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday denied that he backed the violent protest in the city on Monday night, […]

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) is planning to create a separate “corporate bank” unit that will include its transaction banking activities, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on Thursday. The division will have a seat on the board, the paper said, citing internal documents. Currently, the transaction bank is part of the investment bank, which will […]