Hong Kong singer-songwriter Khalil Fong dies aged 41

HONG KONG: Khalil Fong Tai-tung, Hong Kong-based singer-songwriter, producer and composer, has died at the age of 41, after fighting illness for five years, according to his music label. The singer “gently and gracefully bid farewell” on Feb 21, Fong’s independent label, FU MUSIC said in a statement posted on social media. “With unwavering optimism in the...

Who is Catherine Wu, adviser to CDL’s Kwek Leng Beng?

SINGAPORE: Kwek Leng Beng’s long-time adviser Catherine Wu came under the spotlight when his son Sherman Kwek, group chief executive of City Developments Limited (CDL), said on Thursday (Feb 27) that she was the underlying reason behind the family’s public rift. The pair met in Taiwan in 1992 at a dinner party, according to Chinese daily...

Lisa of Blackpink reveals her toughest moments as a global superstar

BANGKOK: For the first time, Lisa opened up about the difficulties she has faced—work pressure, Sasaeng fans (a Korean term for Korean idol stalker), and negative comments. She also discusses her new solo album "Alter Ego", her first acting role in “The White Lotus” and her future plans. During an exclusive interview on WOODY FM, Lisa reflected...

Avalanche in Indian Himalayas kills four and another four workers still trapped

NEW DELHI (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Four workers have died, and a search operation is ongoing to rescue five others after an avalanche struck the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in northern India, Anadolu Ajansi reported officials said Saturday. Authorities launched a large-scale rescue effort in the Chamoli district after an avalanche buried over 50 workers from the Border...

Macron says he left Washington with little hope on U.S. tariffs

PORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged on Friday that he left Washington after talks this week with President Donald Trump with scant hope that the European Union would avoid U.S. trade tariffs. Macron said the Trump administration's trade strategy - and particularly its understanding of value-added taxes - was flawed. Two days after Macron...

Trump to make English official US language, source says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will sign an executive order to make English the official U.S. language, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The source did not provide a timing for the signing of the order, first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The United States has never had an official language...

Japan set to raise tourist tax to counter overtourism

TOKYO: Japan’s government and ruling parties are considering raising the International Tourist Tax, which is currently 1,000 yen (US$6.67) per person and levied on people leaving Japan as a “departure tax”. The government intends to expand the purposes for which the tax revenue is used, such as measures against overtourism, which has become a problem in...

Thai govt thanks The White Lotus and Blackpink’s Lisa for boosting Samui’s popularity

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): The Thai government thanks The White Lotus and Lisa from Blackpink for boosting the country's serene island Koh Samui’s popularity. The series has driven a 65% surge in US tourist interest and a rise in luxury hotel bookings, contributing to Thailand’s growing appeal as a filming destination. In a media release, the government...

Syariah court in Indonesia sentences two men to up to 85 lashes for having gay sex

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP): An Islamic Syariah court in Indonesia’s conservative Aceh province on Monday sentenced two men to public caning for having gay sex. The couple, aged 24 and 18, were arrested on Nov 7, after neighborhood vigilantes in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, suspected them of being gay and broke into their rented room...

Trump offered them a buyout. Here’s why they took it

(Reuters) - Some of the 75,000 U.S. federal workers who the Office of Personnel Management says accepted a resignation buyout offer were ready to retire anyway. Others were motivated by looming federal workforce cuts or an order to return to the office. Many bristled at Donald Trump's description of the civil service as bloated and ineffective,...