World’s captive panda population hits 757

BEIJING: The global population of giant pandas in captivity has increased to 757, a senior government official said on Tuesday (Nov 26), lauding China's conservation efforts over the years. Guan Zhi'ou, head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, made the remark at the Global Panda Partners 2024 conference held in Chengdu, Sichuan province. China has established...

Bursa Malaysia ends higher as utility stocks rally

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia finished slightly higher on Wednesday as gains in utility stocks helped offset selling pressure in the plantation sector. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 1.10 points to 1,604.25 from Tuesday’s close of 1,603.15. The benchmark index opened 1.81 points lower at 1,601.34 and moved between 1,600.83 and 1,609.41...

Visa-free boost to ties

PETALING JAYA: The 30-day visa-free entry offered by Malaysia and China to each other’s citizens will act as a catalyst to revitalise tourism and enhance the economic ties between the two nations, says the Malaysian Tourism Federation. Its president Datuk Tan Kok Liang said China extending the visa-free entry for Malaysians from 15 to 30 days,...

Sabah keen on Chinese investment in Blue Economy sector, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is keen to see Chinese investors explore new opportunities in the state's Blue Economy sector, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. He said the initiative offers immense investment opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture, logistics, tourism, renewable energy, mineral resources, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. “We are pleased that Sabah has remained a sought-after destination for...

China extends visa-free stay for Malaysians to 30 days starting Nov 30

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians entering China from Nov 30 will be able to enjoy visa-free stays from 15 days currently to 30 days. In a statement posted on the official China Embassy Facebook page on Friday (Nov 22), it stated that the move would start from midnight on Nov 30 until midnight Dec 31, 2025. "China is to...

Chinese Influencer Spotted Working As A Hostess In Cambodia After Going Missing For A Year

Rumour has it she's being held against her will after going on a scam trip masterminded by her best friend. Popular Guangdong-born influencer Liya (雅典娜), who has over a million followers on Weibo and Xiaohongshu, went missing over a year ago under strange circumstances. According to the 29-year-old's social media posts, she was on holiday in the Philippines and her family...

China’s second-richest man demands apology from ByteDance founder over online attacks

BEIJING (SCMP): China’s second-wealthiest man on Wednesday made a surprise demand that the country’s richest man, founder of ByteDance, apologise for the perceived role that TikTok’s Chinese sibling Douyin has played in “spreading rumours and misinformation”. Zhong Shanshan, 69 – founder and chairman of China’s largest packaged drinks company Nongfu Spring and the country’s second-richest person,...

China mother jailed for abandoning son with brain injuries inflicted during family dispute

BEIJING (SCMP): A mother in central China accidentally caused a cerebral haemorrhage in her toddler son during an altercation with her mother-in-law, later attempting to abandon the sick child, which sparked significant controversy on mainland social media. The incident took place in May 2021 when the woman, surnamed Xu, from Shangcheng county in Xinyang, Henan province,...

Girl plunges down four floors in China shopping mall after glass panel comes loose

BEIJING: A girl died after falling four storeys to the ground in a shopping mall in eastern China’s Shandong province on Saturday (Nov 16). The girl had been standing near the top of an escalator, leaning on an adjacent glass panel when it gave way at about 8.30pm, according to media outlets. The accident occurred at...

China doctor kills insomniac girlfriend by injecting anesthetics 20 times in six hours

BEIJING (SCMP): A Chinese doctor has been condemned online after he tried to treat his girlfriend’s insomnia by administering anaesthesia more than 20 times in six hours, a move which tragically resulted in her death. The medic, identified only by the surname Qu, is an anesthesiologist at an unnamed hospital in Jiajiang county, Leshan, Sichuan province,...