MANILA (PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – There was misplaced jubilation over the 11.8 per cent second quarter increase in our gross domestic product (GDP) that the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently announced, as it gave the wrong impression that the Philippine economy is now out of recession. Unfortunately, it is not. As others have […]
KUALA LUMPUR – All eyes will be on the palace for a second day running on Tuesday (Aug 17) as the Malaysian King is once again expected to step into the breach in the country’s political deadlock for the second time in 18 months. The Straits Times understands that Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah is set […]
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Joe Biden will break his silence on Monday (Aug 16) on the United States fiasco in Afghanistan with an address to the nation from the White House, as a lightning Taleban victory sent the Democrat’s domestic political fortunes reeling. Cutting short his planned vacation, Biden will return to Washington from the […]
BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – China’s youth unemployment rate rose to the highest this year, as students graduate and China’s economic recovery slows on virus disruptions and weakening global demand. The unemployment rate for those between the ages of 16-24 – which captures graduates from school and college – rose to 16.2 per cent last month from […]
The crowds outside Kabul’s international airport swelled and swelled on Monday morning, leaving the fences and security forces straining to contain the mass of people desperate to escape Afghanistan as the Taliban took control. They rushed through the perimeter of the airport’s civilian section and swarmed the tarmac. Soldiers stood guard, many with weapons drawn. […]
BEIJING – As the Taleban stormed the capital city of Kabul and American forces continued to withdraw from Afghanistan, scenes of the chaos and confusion were closely watched by Chinese media and netizens. State media reports were heavy with schadenfreude, while on the Twitter-like social media platform Weibo, netizens compared the situation in Afghanistan to […]
HONG KONG – The security chief and the police of Hong Kong have vowed to take follow-up action against the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF), in a sign that the woes of the influential and now-disbanded protest organiser are far from over. Secretary for Security Chris Tang said in a blog post on Monday (Aug 16) […]
SINGAPORE – An anaesthesiologist who had four molestation charges against him withdrawn on Monday (Aug 16) said he will seek legal counsel regarding taking action against his accuser. The woman, who cannot be named due to a gag order, had accused Dr Yeo Sow Nam of outraging her modesty on Oct 9, 2017. District Judge […]
SINGAPORE – The ongoing Taleban situation in Afghanistan could draw militants from the region to the country, and pose a threat to the safety of Singapore and its neighbours by inspiring other violent extremist groups. The Internal Security Department (ISD) and security experts told The Straits Times the Taleban’s advances across Afghanistan could result in […]
SINGAPORE – An anaesthesiologist accused of four counts of molestation had all of his charges withdrawn on Monday (Aug 16), after the purported victim admitted to lying in court during earlier proceedings. Upon the prosecution’s application, District Judge Ng Peng Hong gave Dr Yeo Sow Nam a discharge amounting to an acquittal. This means that […]