QuickCheck: Was there a brawl at a jetty in Semporna?

Sometimes, people get along. Sometimes, they don't. A video has gone viral on social media of a few men engaging in a bit of fisticuffs at what appears to be a jetty. Did this happen in Malaysia? VERDICT: TRUE According to Semporna police, the incident took place at Kahanga Jetty around 9am on Dec 21. "The fight was due...

Blackpink’s Jennie to release debut studio album in 2025

Jennie, a member of four-member K-pop girl group Blackpink, will release her first solo studio album in 2025. The 28-year-old made the announcement in a 4½-minute video which went live on YouTube on Dec 23, and was linked to her website on Dec 25. In the video, the South Korea-born star shared that she hopes listeners will...

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...

Cathay sorry as unruly traveller on Hong Kong-US flight causes 15-hour delay

HONG KONG (SCMP): Cathay Pacific Airways has apologised for diverting a US-bound flight to Tokyo because of an unruly passenger before returning to Hong Kong, causing a delay of about 15 hours for travellers on board. Hong Kong’s flag carrier on Sunday pointed to safety guidelines, handling constraints at Tokyo’s Haneda airport and statutory requirements on...

Chinese man can keep US$40,000 cheating ex gave him to say sorry, court rules

A Shanghai court ruled that a man was not obliged to return the 300,000 yuan (US$40,000) his ex-girlfriend gave him in an attempt to salvage their relationship after he discovered her affair with his nephew. The man, surnamed Li, and the woman, identified as Xu, met in 2018 and soon began dating. Two years later, Li...