Vietnam says inflation at 3.27% in early 2025

HANOI: Vietnam's consumer price index increased by 3.27% in the first two months of 2025 from the same period in 2024, and industrial production climbed by 7%, the government said on Wednesday (March 5), a day ahead of the scheduled release of the data. Figures published on the government's website showed the trade surplus for the...

More than 14 years’ jail, caning for man in Singapore who raped wife

SINGAPORE: After slapping his wife and threatening to beat her to death with a metal rod, a man sexually assaulted and raped the woman. The 42-year-old man initially claimed trial to most of the charges he faced relating to the incident, which took place in November 2020. He contended that the sexual acts were consensual. But after two...

Calls to criminalise marital rape in India renewed, as judge frees man accused of raping wife

NEW DELHI: Back in 2019, a lower Indian court in the central Indian state Chhattisgarh convicted a 40-year-old man of rape and “unnatural sex” with his wife, who died within hours of the alleged assault. Her husband was held guilty of “culpable homicide not amounting to murder” and sentenced to “rigorous imprisonment” for 10 years. But in...

Apple launches new iPad Air with AI features to stoke demand

(Reuters) -Apple launched new versions of its mid-priced iPad Air on Tuesday, with an M3 chip and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, as it looks to attract customers into upgrading their devices. The cheapest variant, with an 11-inch screen, will start at $599 and the larger, 13-inch screen model will cost at least $799. Customers can pre-order the...

Japan foreign minister calls Russia entry ban ‘unacceptable’

TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Tuesday (March 4) that Russia's entry ban on him and eight other Japanese citizens was "unacceptable". The comments came a day after Russia's foreign ministry banned Iwaya, the ambassador of Japan to Ukraine and seven other Japanese from entering the country in retaliation to Tokyo's sanctions. Iwaya told reporters...

Teen in Singapore who sexually assaulted younger sister ordered to undergo reformative training

SINGAPORE: A teenager was ordered on Tuesday (March 4) to undergo reformative training for at least a year for sexually assaulting his younger sister on two separate occasions. The 19-year-old, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity, will be detained in a centre to observe a strict regimen that...

‘Gone down a lot’: why Chinese travellers are shunning US and Europe

BEIJING: Chinese tourists are increasingly turning away from traditional destinations such as the United States and Europe in favour of hotspots in the Middle East, South-East Asia and Latin America, according to foreign exchange firm Travelex. The company has seen a marked shift in the currency exchanges requested by its Chinese customers since 2019, with US...

One dead after car drives into crowd in German city of Mannheim, police say

MANNHEIM, Germany (Reuters) -One person was killed and several were injured when a car drove into a crowd of people in the western German city of Mannheim, a police spokesperson said on Monday. The car's driver has been detained, but it is unclear whether there are other suspects, the spokesperson added. Police are appealing to the public...

Former HK actor Chun Wong celebrates 80th birthday in nursing home

Former Hong Kong actor Chun Wong recently celebrated his 80th birthday in a nursing home. In March 2024, Wong, who was previously reported to be 76, was hospitalised following a fall in a hotel room, which subsequently led to his transfer to a care home. He later suffered another two falls, resulting in two hospitalisations within a...

Polish Cold War hero Walesa writes to Trump expressing ‘horror’ at Zelenskiy spat

WARSAW (Reuters) - Lech Walesa, the former Polish president and Solidarity trade union leader who played a leading role in the fall of Communism, signed a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump expressing "horror" at his argument with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The Nobel Peace Prize-winner posted the text of the letter, which was signed by 39...