South African leader spoke to Elon Musk about misinformation after Trump attack

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke to Elon Musk on the subject of misinformation about South Africa, the presidency said on Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would suspend aid to the country over its land reform policy. Trump on Sunday accused South Africa of confiscating land and badly treating "certain...

Hundreds of US government sites go offline

Washington DC (AFP): Hundreds of US government websites were offline on Monday (Feb 3), an AFP review showed, including that of the humanitarian agency USAID which President Donald Trump's administration is shutting down. From a list of nearly 1,400 federal sites provided by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), more than 350 were unavailable on...

Donald Trump Jr. accused of illegal duck hunting near Venice

ROME (Reuters) - Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump, broke Italian and European Union environmental protection laws when he hunted ducks near Venice in December, according to two Italian Green party lawmakers. Andrea Zanoni, a member of the Veneto regional assembly, and Luana Zanella, a national parliamentarian, have filed two separate...

Singaporean charged in Johor Bahru for drug trafficking; faces the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A Singaporean man suspected of drug trafficking has been charged in a court in Johor Bahru, reported China Press. The 33-year-old, who was charged on Jan 31, faces the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted, according to the Malaysian media outlet. He is among four people – three Singaporeans and one Thai...

French film director Ruggia found guilty of sexually abusing actress Haenel

PARIS (Reuters) -A French court on Monday found French film director Christophe Ruggia guilty of sexually abusing actress Adele Haenel when she was underage, in one of the first #MeToo cases to emerge from French cinema. Ruggia, who had denied the allegations against him, will avoid jail. The court in Paris sentenced him to four years,...

Hong Kong woman rescued from Chinese call centre gang in Myanmar

HONG KONG: Thai authorities rescued a Hong Kong woman from a Chinese call centre gang operating on the Myanmar side of the border near Tak, on Feb 2. The rescue of the 31-year-old Hong Kong passport holder was carried out through cooperation between the Royal Thai Army and the Royal Thai Police, following an earlier alert...

Taiwanese star Barbie Hsu dies at 48 after catching influenza in Japan

SINGAPORE: Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, star of the seminal idol drama Meteor Garden (2001), has died at the age of 48. The news was confirmed on Feb 3 in a statement sent out to Taiwanese media by her family via her younger sister, famed Taiwanese host Dee Hsu, 46. According to Taiwanese news outlet Star ETToday, the...

Magnetic pulses boost breast cancer chemo, potentially reducing side effects: NUS study

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have found that non-invasive magnetic pulses can enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy for breast cancer, and potentially reduce side effects for patients. The use of brief, targeted magnetic pulses on cancer cells can increase their absorption of the widely used chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. With more...

Thailand launches digital arrival card to streamline tourist entry

BANGKOK: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has unveiled the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), also known as the "TM.6 online" system, to simplify entry procedures for tourists and travellers. The TDAC system will replace the traditional TM.6 paper form, reducing immigration processing times and improving efficiency in managing arrivals. Tourists can register and submit their personal...

Man, 39, arrested for drink driving after scrap with another driver

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A 39-year-old man was arrested for drink driving on Jan 31 after he got into an accident and fist fight with another driver. He is also assisting in investigations for voluntarily causing hurt, said the police on Feb 2. The police were alerted to the accident in Jalan Toa Payoh towards Macpherson Road...