YANGON (AFP) – A French tourist has been arrested for flying a drone near Myanmar’s parliament in the capital Naypyidaw, the French embassy and local police confirmed on Monday (Feb 11), under a law that could see him imprisoned for up to three years. The man, named by police as 27-year-old Arthur Desclaux, tried to […]
LONDON (Reuters) – Some of the world’s major palm oil users, including Nestle, Unilever, and Mondelez, are trying out new satellite technology to track deforestation, as pressure grows on them to source the ingredient responsibly. They say the monitoring systems allow them to target people felling trees in producing countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, where […]
SINGAPORE – Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will deliver the Budget 2019 statement in Parliament at 3.30pm next Monday (Feb 18). The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and government feedback unit Reach said in a joint statement on Monday that a live webcast of the Budget speech will be available on the Singapore Budget website. The […]
In the concrete jungle of the Central Business District, a red flower-like structure stands out against the skyline. Called a wind scoop, it perches atop the 40-storey CapitaGreen and its “petals” draw in cooler, cleaner air that is funnelled through the building’s air-conditioning system, helping to save energy on cooling. It is among the energy-saving […]
SINGAPORE – Toxic bacteria capable of causing coral bleaching and wound infections in humans have been found on microplastics picked up from the Republic’s coastline between April and July 2018. Marine scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found more than 400 different types of bacteria on 275 pieces of microplastics collected from three […]
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s elderly are primed to benefit from a generous budget unveiled next week, analysts say, as the government prioritizes the needs of a fast-ageing population ahead of an election expected as soon as this year. As pressure grows on more of the elderly to stay in the workforce beyond retirement age, the […]
CHIBA – Japanese police have found an apparent video showing the abuse of Mia Kurihara, a 10-year-old girl who died at her home in Chiba Prefecture last month, investigative sources have said, local media reported. In the high-profile case of possible abuse, Chiba police have arrested the girl’s father, Yuichiro, and her mother, Nagisa, on […]
It began with a deputy minister finding himself in hot water after his academic qualifications were questioned. The controversy then grew to engulf other leading politicians, placing the Malaysian government under scrutiny. Deputy Foreign Minister Marzuki Yahya had claimed to have a bachelor’s degree from Britain’s Cambridge University via a distance learning programme. But after […]
KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The high profile corruption trial of Malaysia’s former premier Najib Razak – the first in a series of charges – is scheduled to start on Tuesday (Feb 12) but this may be stalled due to a last-minute application by the defence to stay the hearing. Najib, the first […]
WELLINGTON (AFP) – A large New Zealand wildfire is expected to burn for weeks longer but has moved away from some inhabited areas, allowing residents of an evacuated village to return home soon, firefighters said Monday (Feb 11). About 3,000 inhabitants of Wakefield, just outside Nelson at the top of South Island, were ordered out […]