Mary Kay Donates Hand Sanitizer in Asia Pacific Region to Support COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Efforts and Support Frontline Heroes Videos by journalists in Dakar, Bogota, Beirut, Kuala Lumpur and Paris bureaus by Yassine Khiri with AFP bureaus across the world With their art, technology know-how, creative social networking skills or political commitment, post-millennials, known as […]

Malaysia’s disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak had no knowledge of multi-million-dollar transfers into his accounts linked to the 1MDB scandal, his lawyers insisted Monday, as his first trial nears an end. Billions of dollars were looted from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB and spent on items ranging from high-end real estate to artwork, in a globe-spanning […]

RECASTS with Twitter calling Trump tweets ‘unsubstantiated’; changes dateline by Glenn CHAPMAN Twitter labelled two Donald Trump tweets “unsubstantiated” and accused him of making false claims Tuesday, a first for the social network which has long resisted calls to censure the US president over truth-defying posts. The move came amid a growing storm after Trump […]

ADDS Beijing, WHO, Russia, UK, Brazil by Michael Mathes, with AFP bureaus President Donald Trump has threatened to pull the US out of the World Health Organization, accusing it of botching the global coronavirus response and of being a “puppet of China” — prompting rebuke from Beijing which said Tuesday Washington was “shirking responsibility”.    […]

by Sam Reeves / M. Jegathesan Fifteen years ago in a packed Kuala Lumpur stadium, rising stars Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei met in a final for the first time, setting the stage for what would become badminton’s greatest rivalry. Malaysia’s Lee, then 22, fell to the floor, punched the air and blew kisses […]

A producer of Hollywood hit “The Wolf of Wall Street” is willing to testify against his step-father, Malaysia’s disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, over a massive graft scandal, a court heard Tuesday. The news came just days after charges were unexpectedly dropped against producer Riza Aziz, who was accused of illegally receiving huge sums from Malaysian […]

ADDS detail from Rohingya camps, quotes, CHANGES dateline to main refugee camp Emergency teams raced Friday to prevent a coronavirus “nightmare” in the world’s largest refugee settlement after the first reported cases in the giant shanties housing nearly one million Rohingya. Health officials said three of the Muslim outcasts living in the 34 camps along […]

An Indonesian badminton legend has claimed the Southeast Asian nation’s sports ministry is full of corrupt “rats”, after admitting his own role in a bribery case. “No matter who the minister is, it’ll be the same,” retired Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat said in a YouTube interview this week. “Half the building should be destroyed […]

ADDS extra measures, quotes, background Emergency teams raced Friday to prevent a coronavirus “nightmare” in the world’s largest refugee settlement after the first confirmed cases in a sprawling city of shacks housing nearly a million Rohingya. There have long been warnings the virus could race like wildfire through the cramped, sometimes sewage-soaked alleys of the […]

Malaysia’s economy grew at its slowest pace in more than a decade during the first three months of the year as the coronavirus pandemic battered the country, but still managed to beat forecasts, data showed Wednesday. Gross domestic product grew 0.7 percent on-year in January-March, the central bank reported, compared with 3.6 percent growth in […]

Malaysian prosecutors on Thursday dropped money laundering charges linked to the 1MDB scandal against one of the producers of Hollywood hit “The Wolf of Wall Street” after he agreed a settlement with the government.  Riza Aziz, who is also the stepson of the country’s disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak, was arrested in July for allegedly receiving […]

by Kelly MACNAMARA A mysterious and deadly disease rips through the population causing a fearful public to adopt hastily-made masks as experts debate how best to slow the spread of infection. A scene this week from cities in Europe and the United States tiptoeing out of lockdown? Not quite. It was more than a century […]

ADDS details, quotes, background Sony said Wednesday its annual net profit tumbled 36.5 percent on lower revenue from games and electronics products, issuing no forecast for the current year because of uncertainties over the coronavirus pandemic.  Sony said its group net profit came in at 582.2 billion yen ($5.4 billion) for the year that ended […]

Deaths from preventable disease in children under five could rise by almost 45 percent over the next six months as the COVID-19 pandemic diverts scarce health resources in developing countries, a UN report said Tuesday. Poorer nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America could see an additional 1.2 million infants die over the period, according […]

US authorities have reached a deal to recover another $49 million in assets bought with money looted from Malaysia’s 1MDB state investment fund and laundered through the global financial system. Billions of dollars were plundered from the sovereign wealth fund and spent on everything from a luxury yacht to artwork in a fraud allegedly involving […]

US crude crashed to below $15 a barrel on Monday, its lowest level for over two decades, as concerns about a virus-triggered demand shock and lack of storage eclipsed an output cut deal. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US benchmark, fell more than 19 percent to $14.73 a barrel in early Asian trade, before markets […]

Apple on Wednesday launched a new iPhone aimed at the budget-minded, aiming to fill a gap in its lineup ahead of upgrading its flagship handset. The updated iPhone SE will start at $399 (RM1,999), or less than half the price of its leading flagship devices and be available as of Friday. In Malaysia, 64GB is […]

The US Justice Department announced Tuesday it had sent $300 million in funds stolen in the 1MDB corruption scandal to the Malaysia government that had been laundered through the global financial system. Combined with other funds handed over nearly one year ago, the Justice Department said it has now returned or helped Malaysia recover more […]

by Glenn Chapman Is now the time to launch a new iPhone? Despite a pandemic-induced global economic crisis, Apple is widely believed to be set to release a reduced-priced handset that aims to fill a gap in its lineup, as early as this month. Google could also follow a similar path, after Samsung last week […]

Oil prices rallied Monday after top producers agreed to slash output and shore up coronavirus-ravaged energy markets, but some analysts were concerned the cuts did not go far enough. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 7.7 percent at $24.52 a barrel in Asian trade while Brent crude, the international benchmark, put on 5.0 percent […]

by Nina Larson China last year became the world leader in international patent filings, unseating the United States which had held the top spot for more than four decades, the UN said Tuesday. A record 265,800 international patent applications were filed last year, a hike of 5.2-percent from 2018, the World Intellectual Property Organisation said […]

Singapore’s usually bustling business district was almost deserted Tuesday as most workplaces in the city-state closed to stem the spread of the coronavirus after a surge in cases. The financial hub has won praise for using a tough regime of testing and tracing contacts of the sick to keep its outbreak largely in check, but […]

by Andy SCOTT UEFA and Europe’s top clubs have stated their determination that the current football season should be played to a conclusion and threatened that teams may be excluded from the next Champions League if their domestic competitions are ended prematurely. In a joint letter released late on Thursday, UEFA, the European Club Association […]

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 […]