People spending more time cooped up in their homes to curb the spread of the new coronavirus have changed their daily soundtracks, with many opting for more “chill” music, streaming service Spotify said Monday. But they also noted a surge in the streaming of the old hit by The Police: “Don’t Stand So Close To […]

Indonesia’s coronavirus crisis is far worse than being officially reported and the government’s response is “in tatters”, the country’s doctors association warned Friday as the death toll climbed to 87. The world’s fourth-most populous country only reported its first confirmed infection this month but the number had ballooned to over 1,000 by Friday. Indonesia’s 87 […]

Malaysia has deployed the army to support police in enforcing tough restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus as cases in the country surged above 1,000. People have been told to stay at home and all schools and most businesses have closed, while Malaysians are barred from travelling overseas and foreigners from entering the […]

Malaysia has its first COVID-19 death today (17 Mar). The victim, a 60 years old Pastor from Emmanuel Baptist Church Kuching passed away at 11.00 am at Sarawak General Hospital. The Sarawak State Health Department is still in the process to identify the source of his infection. Meanwhile, 193 close contacts of the deceased have […]

Malaysia will ban its citizens from travelling overseas and foreigners from entering the country in drastic measures announced by the prime minister Monday aimed at curbing the spread of the deadly new coronavirus. Schools will also be closed under the rules that will be in place for two weeks from Wednesday, Muhyiddin Yassin said. Large […]

Malaysia has announced a nationwide Travel Restriction Order from 18th to 31st March 2020. This is made to control the ongoing spread of Covid-19, the ever-sprawling problem of the coronavirus. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a televised speech at 10pm Monday (16th March). Muhyiddin stressed that this is not a […]

by Heather SCOTT Faced with a growing economic shutdown from the coronavirus pandemic, the US Federal Reserve on Sunday announced drastic emergency measures to shore up confidence and keep the financial sector running, including slashing the key interest rate to virtually zero. The Fed made its second emergency rate cut in less than two weeks, […]

Malaysia said Sunday that more than half the country’s 428 coronavirus cases were linked to an international Islamic gathering held last month.  The Southeast Asian nation announced a spike of 190 new infections over the weekend, mostly linked to a global Islamic event attended by almost 20,000 people. “Of the 428 cases, 243 are participants […]

Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Now in its 31st year, WWDC 2020 will take on an entirely new online format packed with content for consumers, press and developers alike. The online event will be an opportunity for millions of creative and innovative developers to get early access […]

Dutch national airline KLM said Friday it will cut up to 2,000 jobs as it battled the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak, and announced other cost-cutting measures. Chief executive Pieter Elbers said KLM — which has around 33,000 employees — will also ask personnel to work shortened hours, while grounding its fleet of six […]

Oil prices seesawed in early Asian trade Wednesday, a day after a strong rebound from a major rout triggered by the start of a price war between Riyadh and Moscow. West Texas Intermediate fluctuated between small losses and gains, with the price hovering around $34 a barrel, while Brent crude was up around 0.5 percent […]

Zafrul Aziz, currently the CEO of Malaysia’s second biggest lender – CIMB – has just been announced as the new Finance Minister of Malaysia. This announcement was made by the new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a press conference on Monday in Putrajaya. The appointment of Zafrul in the cabinet would mean he has to […]

by Liz Thomas Olivia Cotes-James wants us to talk about menstrual health. Properly.  No more euphemisms, no more opaque marketing, no more superstitions, and no glossing over cramps, bleeding, or pain: Reframing current attitudes is vital for female empowerment and health, as well as the environment, says the 29-year-old founder of LUÜNA Naturals, which hails […]

Malaysia’s anti-corruption chief, who had been investigating scandal-hit state fund 1MDB, said Friday she had resigned after a reformist government collapsed and a graft-tainted party took power. The “Pact of Hope” alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018 and ousted a long-ruling coalition, fell apart amid infighting last week and prime minister Mahathir Mohamad […]

by Roland Jackson British regional airline Flybe crashed into bankruptcy Thursday after the deadly coronavirus proved to be the final nail in its coffin. The biggest operator of UK domestic flights said it has sunk into administration — a last-ditch process aimed at salvaging at least some of the company. And with the carrier long […]

by Haeril Halim No one was more surprised to learn that Dimas Prayitno owned a Rolls-Royce than the 21-year-old Indonesian himself, who was baffled when told he owed $15,000 in taxes on the luxury vehicle. But a look at the construction worker’s home in a rundown neighbourhood quickly convinced officials that Prayitno was the latest […]

Malaysia’s central bank cut its key interest rate on Tuesday to the lowest level since 2010 to combat the impact of the new coronavirus, which has battered economies worldwide. Bank Negara Malaysia slashed the rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 percent, as expected by economists, in its second cut this year. It came as […]

Malaysia’s new prime minister insisted Monday he was no “traitor” after taking power without an election and with support from a scandal-tainted party, following political heavyweight Mahathir Mohamad’s shock resignation. “I know there are those who are angry with me — I am not a traitor,” Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address — his […]

Muhyiddin Yassin, who is set to become Malaysia’s next prime minister, is a low-profile political insider and former stalwart of the establishment Muslim party that led the country for decades. As Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim engaged in a power struggle following the collapse of their two-year-old coalition, the unassuming 72-year-old emerged as an unexpected […]

by Sam Reeves / Patrick Lee A staunch Muslim nationalist backed by a scandal-mired party was sworn in as Malaysia’s premier Sunday after a reformist government’s collapse, but ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 94, slammed the move as illegal. The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil after Mahathir’s “Pact of Hope” alliance, which stormed to a […]