Feuding princes to reunite for unveiling of Diana statue in London

Britain's feuding princes, William and Harry, will put their differences aside on Thursday (June 24) to attend the unveiling of a statue to their late mother Princess Diana on what would have been her 60th birthday. For most of their lives, the royal brothers have been close, united by the shared trauma of losing their mother who...

Coronavirus: Early signs Sinovac’s jab is safe and effective in children

The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chinese company Sinovac is safe and effective for children as young as three, early stage human trials have found, as China seeks to expand immunisation coverage. The vaccine, which gained World Health Organisation emergency use approval for adults earlier this month, has already been approved for emergency use for children above...

How should women be sexy? Photo shoot featuring famous Chinese comedienne sparks feminism debate

A debate has exploded in China about how women should define their own sex appeal after one of the country’s most famous stand-up comedians was featured in a photo spread in a sexually suggestive men’s magazine. The pictures feature Li Xueqin, who became famous, in part, for her clever jokes about Chinese patriarchy, and were published...

As Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination drive revs up, sceptics threaten to spoil the party

In the interior of Malaysia’s Sabah state, two thirds of which remains under forest cover, citizens are deeply sceptical about Covid-19 vaccinations. The state has experienced its fair share of trauma during the pandemic, stemming from its experience as the “ground zero” of the nationwide third wave of infections that stretches back to September. Despite having witnessed...

Malaysia PM announces $48b aid package amid extended lockdown

Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday (June 28) announced a 150 billion ringgit (S$48 billion) aid package, including cash aid and wage subsidies, a day after extending a nationwide lockdown indefinitely to tackle a stubborn Covid-19 outbreak. Lockdown measures originally set to end on Monday would not be eased until daily reported cases fell below 4,000,...

Australia extends mask mandate for Sydney as virus cluster grows

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), on Tuesday (June 22) reported its biggest increase in new locally acquired Covid-19 cases in nearly a week, raising prospects of more tough restrictions in the country's largest city, Sydney. Ten new locally acquired cases were reported in NSW on Tuesday, as officials fight to contain a latest...

Creditors can’t sue AirAsia X for another 9 months, says Malaysia court

The Malaysian high court has granted AirAsia X Bhd a nine-month extension on a restraining order which prevents creditors from filing any legal proceedings against it, the airline said in a stock exchange filing. The filing on Thursday (June 17) said the extension runs nine months from the day of the announcement. The court had granted a restraining...

Axiata, Telenor seal $20b deal to form Malaysia’s biggest mobile operator

Malaysian telecoms firm Axiata Group Bhd and Norway’s Telenor ASA will merge their mobile operations in Malaysia in a US$15 billion (S$20 billion) deal, forming a new market leader in the competitive Southeast Asian nation. The companies had said in April they were in advanced talks to merge Celcom Axiata Bhd and DiGi.Com Bhd, and each party...

Namewee Vows To Help Allegedly Extorted Hawkers; “Justice May Be Late, But Never Absent!”

Earlier this month, two young hawkers from Kepong had reportedly been blackmailed by police on their way to work. They told their story to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng who posted the incident on Facebook. It then caught the police’s attention. Initially, the police stated that their complaint was authentic. However, on 17th June, the hawkers retracted their...

Family In Kedah Spent Father’s Day Handling Their Parents’ Cremations

Father’s Day was yesterday, 20th June. Most people would have spent it with their dads, some may have reminisced about their dads. However, not everyone was as fortunate to do so. A family in Kedah spent Father’s Day handling their parents’ funerals. Their parents, aged 60 and 45 years old respectively passed away on 11th and...