Wanted Vietnamese activist jailed for illegally entering Thailand

BANGKOK: A Thai court on Wednesday (Dec 25) sentenced a prominent Vietnamese hill tribe activist to six months in prison for illegally entering the kingdom and staying without a visa, his lawyer told AFP. Judges in Bangkok ruled in September that Y Quynh Bdap (pic) -- who has lived in exile in Thailand since 2018 --...

Third executive fired by SingPost to contest decision, says move ‘unfair and without merit’

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The third executive who was fired by Singapore Post on Dec 21 following investigations over a whistle-blower’s report will contest his termination, saying the move is undue, unfair and without merit. In a statement posted on LinkedIn on Dec 24, Li Yu, the former chief executive of the SingPost international business unit...

Indonesia to boost rice purchases from their farmers to ensure food security, support growers

JAKARTA (Xinhua): The Indonesian government plans to purchase more rice from farmers in 2025 to enhance their welfare and ensure food security, a minister has announced. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan said that the volume of rice purchases would increase from 2 million tons this year to 2.5 million tons next year. The rice will...

Disgraced top China banker Liu Liange married son’s girlfriend, causing his chronic depression

BEIJING (SCMP): Disgraced Chinese banker, Liu Liange, who has been sentenced to death for corruption, has had his romantic life come under public scrutiny. This includes frequently changing partners and sabotaging his son’s relationship before marrying his girlfriend, leading to widespread criticism and reportedly contributing to the young man’s chronic depression. Born in 1961 in Yongji, Jilin...

Singapore Post fires CEO, executives over whistleblowing report

SINGAPORE: Singapore Post Ltd shares slumped by the most in more than four years after the firm fired its chief executive officer and a number of other senior executives following allegations related to its international e-commerce logistics parcels business. The stock slid as much as 9.8% at Monday’s open, the most since March 2020 on an...

Thai journalists dub Paetongtarn government ‘pampered by dad’

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Journalists in Thailand have dubbed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s administration as “the government pampered by dad”. As part of a long-held annual tradition, reporters covering Government House convened on Dec 23 to evaluate how the government and specific Cabinet members were perceived by the public over the past year and to assign...

Govt approval rating up slightly this year at 51%, survey finds

PETALING JAYA: The Madani government has seen a slight improvement in voter ratings as its second administrative year comes to a close. According to findings of a Merdeka Centre survey released on Monday (Dec 23), 54% of voters polled gave the Prime Minister a positive rating, up from 50% last year. The overall rating for the Federal...

Malaysia Airlines cabin crew praised for professionalism during medical flights

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines cabin crew have been praised for their exceptional professionalism and dedication during a recent medical repatriation flight from Kuala Lumpur to Osaka, Japan. Their actions were described as heroic by AK Aeromedical Services CEO Dr Kiran Chalam in a heartfelt post on the True Malaysia Airlines Fans Group on Facebook Dr Kiran detailed...

Police corporal yelled for help before going under, say friends

PASIR SALAK: The last words of the late police corporal Muhammad Taufik Sayutin, who drowned here on Sunday (Dec 22) during a swim with old school pals, were a desperate cry for help before he was swept away in the raging waters of an irrigation canal at the Changkat Lada sluice gate in Kampung Gajah. One...

Christmas tree bursts into flames at Subang Jaya mall

PETALING JAYA: A Christmas tree at a shopping mall in Subang Jaya has caught fire. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department Assistant Director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said the distress call was received at about 7.10pm on Monday (December 23). "Six firemen were dispatched to the scene. AChristmas tree caught fire, but it was extinguished once the firemen arrived,"...