MANILA (BLOOMBERG) – In the Philippines – where 76 million Internet users stay online the longest in the world – only a handful of people spend a few hours each day to fight fake news about the upcoming midterm elections. The Commission on Elections has formed a team of 10 government workers to spot and […]
MANILA (DPA) – The Philippine Supreme Court has issued an order directing the government to “protect, preserve, rehabilitate and to restore” the marine environment in three areas the country claims in the disputed South China Sea. The writ of kalikasan (nature) issued on Friday (May 3) covers Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal and Mischief Reef. […]
SINGAPORE – “Lucky draws” were not so lucky for 13 people scammed of $30,000 since January. Police alerted on Saturday (May 4) that there has been a resurgence of lucky draw scams since the start of the year. Scammers would typically impersonate staff from local telcos Singtel or StarHub and use the messaging app Viber […]
ISLAMABAD (REUTERS) – Pakistan’s government has fired the governor of the central bank and the chairman of the tax collection body, two senior government officials told Reuters on Friday (May 3), in another setback to efforts to tackle economic turmoil. The removal of the two comes only weeks after Finance Minister Asad Umar was asked […]
BANGKOK — In a gilded ceremony set to start at the auspicious time of 10:09 on Saturday morning, with his new queen by his side, King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun of Thailand will be formally crowned. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 66, ascended to the throne in 2016, after the death of his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who […]
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Reuters) – The Federal Reserve may need to cut interest rates to boost inflation and regain credibility if inflation remains sluggish beyond the second quarter, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said on Friday. “I certainly would be open to a cut,” Bullard told Reuters in an interview on the […]
KABUL, Afghanistan — On the second day of a traditional Afghan assembly this week, a delegate rose to speak on the topic at hand, peace in Afghanistan. A bearded man from Kandahar ordered her to shut up. “He told her: ‘Peace has nothing to do with you. Sit down, you should be in the kitchen […]
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday (May 3) that his government is keen to take hold of a 4.5ha plot of land in Bukit Chagar in Johor, to build the rapid transit system (RTS) to Singapore. He was responding to a report in Malaysiakini, which quoted sources, that the piece […]
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The suicide bombs were packed with ball bearings, iron nails and the explosive TATP, all hallmarks of the way the Islamic State likes to commit mass murder. One of the bombers had traveled to Syria. Another trained in Turkey. One man arrested hours after the attacks had commuted between Sri Lanka […]
(Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp is considering an initial public offering of its $100 billion Vision Fund, a source familiar with the matter said on Friday. The fund was set up in 2017 and has become the world’s largest technology investment fund. Its investments include ride-hailing pioneer Uber, chip designer ARM and shared workspace […]