Asia

Tens of thousands of farmers have swarmed India’s capital where they intend to camp out for weeks to protest new agricultural laws that they say could destroy their livelihoods.

Misleading public data, a three-week lag in diagnosing new virus cases, and a previously undeclared regional spike in influenza cases: 117 pages of internal documents show a chaotic and underfunded provincial health care system struggling to confront a mysterious viral outbreak.

At least eight prisoners were killed and more than 50 injured in clashes with guards at a Sri Lankan prison, officials said on Monday, as authorities tried to quell a protest over rising coronavirus infections in the country’s crowded jails.

New Zealand’s largest media publisher, Stuff, has publicly apologized for the way it has portrayed Māori people, after an internal investigation uncovered evidence of “racism and marginalisation” in its representation of the country’s Indigenous people.

Five pro-democracy leaders reported to Thai police Monday to face accusations of lese majeste — a controversial and sweeping law that prohibits criticism of Thailand’s royal family — as authorities attempt to crack down on the country’s growing protest movement.

The president-elect’s aim of returning normalcy to foreign policy has spooked human rights defenders in Asia, who see President Trump as someone who confronted dictators.

The post, with a doctored photograph showing an Australian soldier with a knife to the throat of an Afghan child, sent relations between the two countries to a new low.

Vietnam reported two more coronavirus cases on Tuesday linked to a rare domestic infection in its commercial hub Ho Chi Minh City, while the government urged public vigilance and tighter enforcement of health measures.

ODDAR MEANCHEY, Cambodia: It was his first contact with another elephant in eight years. Reaching out with his trunk, Kaavan tentatively greeted a fellow inhabitant of the Cambodian sanctuary where he is beginning his new life after being rescued from grim conditions in a Pakistani zoo. The 36 …

As the number of new coronavirus cases continues to climb, there are increasing calls for the government to institute stronger social distancing measures.

Atambayev’s June conviction has been overturned, but he’ll be headed back to court for the Batukayev release case, and others.

DHAKA: Bangladesh expects to receive its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines by February which people will receive free of charge, the health secretary said on Tuesday (Dec 1). The South Asian country of more than 160 million last month signed a deal with the Serum Institute of India to buy 30 …

South Korea said its sensors had malfunctioned, allowing a North Korean to defect undetected, in the military’s most embarrassing border security breach in years.

Insights from Guy Burton.

BANGKOK: Thai authorities urged calm on Tuesday (Dec 1) as they scramble to trace a potential coronavirus outbreak after at least four women tested positive on returning from neighbouring Myanmar. Since detecting the first case outside of China back in January, Thailand has managed to keep COVID …

EdTech companies are starting to address the urban-rural disparity in educational opportunities prevalent throughout China.

Zoom leveraged the boom in videoconferencing uptake early on in 2020, and competing products — such as Teams, Meet, and Slack — quickly answered in a bid to differentiate from the current market-leader and entice users back to them. Fundamentally, though, these tools don’t differ greatly from one another. They offer an audio-visual feed between… Read more » The post Is this the (worrying) future of hybrid work technology? appeared first on TechHQ.

An appeal against the controversial acquittal of a British-born militant convicted of murdering American journalist Daniel Pearl opened at a Pakistani court on Tuesday.

When Australia’s leader demanded an apology for a tweet by a Chinese official, his response reflected the insecurities facing many countries in dealing with China.

The insurance sector is a rapidly-transforming area of the wider financial industry, which is itself undergoing rapid change thanks to technology. The larger established insurance players find their market share being reduced by digital-native start-ups, whose disruptive tactics are forcing even the industry stalwarts to reassess their digital priorities. By astute use of the correct… Read more » The post Four outcomes that every insurance company wants in 2021, with RingCentral appeared first on TechHQ.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded a four-digit increase in new COVID-19 cases for the fifth day in a row on Tuesday (Dec 1) with 1,472 infections. Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said 778 of the new cases were from the Teratai cluster, which accounted for a majority of the 891 …

Thailand’s constitutional court on Tuesday warned against “vulgar” criticism of its rulings, on the eve of a crucial judgement that could see Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha forced out of office.

India attempted to calm nearly a week of raucous protests by meeting with farmers on Tuesday after rallies against agricultural reforms sparked violent clashes with police on the outskirts of the capital.

The bilateral relationship is on a strong footing. Time has come to add more meat to it.

TOKYO: As a new wave of coronavirus infections sweeps Tokyo, a pop-up store near Japan’s capital is luring Christmas shoppers with 250 types of face mask, including festive versions with decorative lights. Tokyo Mask Land, which opened Tuesday for a month in an office building in Yokohama …

JOHOR BAHRU: Thirteen hotels in Johor have ceased operations amid the spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia this year, the state’s Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman said on Tuesday (Dec 1), without naming the affected establishments. Onn Hafiz Ghazi told the Johor State Legislative Assembly …

That Tokyo trip will have to wait for the millions of people who canceled flights and hotel bookings. But there are ways to bring you closer to this sometimes impenetrable, always fascinating, city.

Anand Patwardhan spent decades tracking the rise of Hindu nationalism. And now, under an increasingly repressive government, he holds his screenings in secret.

The oldest member of BTS was saved at the last minute from having to join the military under the country’s conscription system.

Deep learning algorithms take millions of data points as inputs, correlating specific features to produce an output. While humans are involved in the initial management of data, such as data labeling, once fed into a system the process is largely self-directed. Even for the data scientists and programs involved in the model’s development, it can… Read more » The post Why black box AI problem is bad for business appeared first on TechHQ.

TAIPEI: Zhou Xiaoxuan says her prestigious internship with Chinese state TV soured after a popular host forcibly kissed her. Outraged, Zhou took the previously taboo step of filing a lawsuit in 2018, joining the global #MeToo movement against sexual harassment. But the ruling Communist Party …

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has opened 19 investigation papers into six subsidiaries of the world’s largest glove-maker Top Glove over offences involving workers’ dormitories.  This followed simultaneous enforcement operations carried out by the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department …

Mitree Chitinunda was such a devoted Thai royalist that he had the king’s portrait cut into his hair last year, but politics like fashion and hairstyles is changing in Thailand.

COVID-19 has presented state oil firms in Malaysia and Indonesia with widely divergent challenges.

Twitter on Tuesday rebuffed Australian calls to remove a Beijing official’s incendiary tweet targeting Australian troops, as China doubled down on criticism in the face of mounting international condemnation.

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Hong Kong will defer the launch of an air travel bubble to next year amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the Chinese city, said Singapore’s aviation authority.  The travel bubble was originally scheduled to start on Nov 22, but both cities said the day before flights were …

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities are closely monitoring several volcanoes after sensors picked up increased activity in recent weeks, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. Hot ash tumbled as far as 3,000m down the slopes of Mount Semeru early on Tuesday (Dec 1), triggering panic among …

As President Gotabaya Rajapaksa continues amassing power, the future for the country’s media looks bleak.

BANDUNG: Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Indonesian city of Bandung neat lines of teepee-style tents are set up each evening on a patch of lawn in front of a large screen. Known as Cinema Under the Stars, the outdoor camp-style movie space opened two months ago in the capital of Indonesia’s …

Hoping to preserve their access to a lucrative market, Facebook and YouTube have been increasingly willing to censor “anti-state” content.

The Pacific-based amphibious carrier burned for nearly five days in July.

JAKARTA: Anies Baswedan, the governor of the Indonesian capital Jakarta, said on Tuesday (Dec 1) he had tested positive for COVID-19, as the world’s fourth most populous country struggles to contain a spike in the number of infections. The 51-year-old governor of Southeast Asia’s biggest city is …

Wuhan native Liu Pei’en shut down his investment business and converted to Buddhism to try to make sense of his father’s death last January from suspected Covid-19.

New Zealand has waded into a heated war of words between its main ally, Australia, and its principal trading partner, China.

Tens of thousands of farmers blocked New Delhi roads.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday (Dec 1) again urged residents of the densely populated city to stay at home and avoid unnecessary family gatherings as the global financial hub scrambles to contain a rise in coronavirus cases. Lam was speaking at her weekly press conference a day …

Japan is loosening regulations on part-time work for foreigners stuck in the country due to the novel coronavirus and having trouble supporting themselves, the government said on Tuesday.

HONG KONG: Petrol bombs were hurled at a Hong Kong police recreation club in the early hours of Tuesday (Dec 1), a rare attack on a police facility since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law. Police said they received a report of three men dressed in black hurling Molotov cocktails …

Passenger van rams into bus amid fog in Pakistan, killing 13

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (Nov 30) said that partial coronavirus restrictions will remain in the capital region until the end of the year, with the government urging Filipinos to limit Christmas gatherings to prevent a post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases. People must …

The number of political prisoners in Vietnam has reached its highest on record, according to a tally by Amnesty International, which in a report on Tuesday accused Facebook and Google of censorship in the Southeast Asian country.

TOKYO: Bird flu has been detected in a fourth Japanese prefecture, the agriculture ministry said on Tuesday (Dec 1), as a wave of infections at poultry farms sparks the country’s worst outbreak in more than four years. Avian influenza was discovered at a poultry farm in Hyuga city in Miyazaki …

Four women wearing protective gear lift the body of a coronavirus victim at the Pashupati crematorium in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, and hand it over to crematory workers – a scene unimaginable in the conservative country in recent years.

Thousands of recently-created Twitter accounts beamed out royalist hashtags intended to counter rising online mockery of the monarchy.

Mainland China reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Nov. 30, down from 18 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Tuesday.

Mohammed Naiem Asadi and his wife, Rahima, haven’t slept well in days. They are too nervous to eat much. They are trying to keep their fear in check for their 4-year-old daughter. But their bodies sometimes betray them.

China has provided North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family with an experimental coronavirus vaccine, a U.S. analyst said on Tuesday, citing two unidentified Japanese intelligence sources.

President-elect Joe Biden is set to announce who will serve in top roles in his administration in the coming days and weeks.

In their post addressing the communication agency’s letter, Kun.uz said it “gave off an air of the ‘old’ Uzbekistan.”

Is President Xi Jinping’s statement desire to join the CPTPP a signal of reconciliation to the new Biden administration or a bid to advance China’s regional dominance?

Tens of thousands have arrived in tractors and trailers, many traveling hundreds of miles, to block roads into New Delhi and protest recently passed pro-market agricultural policies.

By offering condolences for Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s death, is the TTP planning to expand its influence into the political realm?

But despite the surge in violence, and deep uncertainty caused by the U.S. drawdown, the peace agreement appears to be an opportunity too good for NATO to miss.

Crown Prince Akishino said he approved of his daughter’s marriage to a commoner but noted that the public may be opposed, dimming prospects for an official ceremony.

Two months out from unrest sparked by parliamentary elections, Kyrgyzstan’s political future remains uncertain.

China held a second “special meeting on COVID-19” with Pacific Island countries.

Yu Miri won a National Book Award for “Tokyo Ueno Station,” a novel whose main character is the ghost of a homeless construction worker.

What should South Asian states expect from the United States under Joe Biden?

Take a random sample of internet traffic or traffic flowing across the average enterprise network, and you will probably find that the majority (some estimates put the figure as high as 70%) of packets are destined for, coming from, or are related in some way to API activity. Even applications that could be described as… Read more » The post More than a gateway: Modern API management platforms appeared first on TechHQ.

Hundreds of activists were arrested a day ahead of the opposition rally, which went ahead despite a government ban.

Government agencies and individuals were among those charged over the roles in the 2019 disaster, which killed 22 people.

The Cold War-era Five Power Defense Arrangements’ longevity continues to surprise some, as it approaches its 50th anniversary next year.

As climate action becomes a question of geopolitical competition, the world’s major economies look ready to finally take serious steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

On paper, East Asian countries are moving aggressively toward renewable energy. On the ground, however, things are more complicated.

Transnational activists have long interpreted and reinterpreted each others’ work, adapting to local conditions and facing local contradictions.

Hard-to-trace clusters, along with pandemic fatigue, have forced officials in Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan to keep recalibrating their responses.

Australia is well-positioned to help roll-out a COVID-19 vaccine across the Pacific and Southeast Asia; India’s vaccine manufacturing capability would be a huge boost to that effort.

The 2020 U.S. election undermines Washington’s bid to act as a beacon for the world.

A Chinese court jailed 53 people on Monday after convicting them on charges including bribery and negligence over a massive chemical factory explosion in eastern China last year that killed 78 people.

HANOI: Vietnam confirmed on Monday (Nov 30) its first locally transmitted COVID-19 case in 89 days. The case, a 32-year-old man, is related to a flight attendant who had tested positive after returning from Japan two weeks ago. With its strict quarantine and tracking measures, Vietnam has managed …

SEOUL: China’s efforts to win an international certification for pao cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan, is turning into a social media showdown between Chinese and South Korean netizens over the origin of kimchi, a staple Korean cuisine made of cabbage. Beijing recently won a …

A report indicates the U.S. government will seek to deny sales to 89 major Chinese companies with military links.

The recent English translation of the novel “Phoolsunghi” reminds us of an entire culture that once surrounded Indian courtesans.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday resisted calls for the repeal of farm reforms that have ignited the biggest protests by farmers in years around the national capital, saying they were being misled and that deregulation would benefit them.

PHNOM PENH: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday (Nov 30) banned wedding parties and gatherings of more than 20 people, as authorities moved quickly to try to thwart a COVID-19 outbreak after announcing rare cases of community transmission. Fifteen people have so far tested positive from 3 …

Amid a pandemic and educational crisis, why is one of India’s least developed states focusing political energy on cow welfare?

The Fiji Law Society voices its concern about mounting reports of police brutality in the country.

Zhao Lijian’s tweet is likely to seriously aggravate tensions between the two countries.

BANGKOK: The most prominent leaders of Thai anti-government protests presented themselves at a police station on Monday (Nov 30) to hear charges of insulting the monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, but said they would not be deterred from their demonstrations. It is the first time in more than …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded a four-digit increase in positive COVID-19 cases for the fourth day in a row on Monday (Nov 30) with 1,212 infections. There were also three new deaths recorded in Sabah, Kedah and Labuan. The youngest fatality was a 22-year-old man who died at Hospital Lahad Datu …

AWS, Microsoft, and other IaaS providers have jumped on the quantum computing bandwagon as they try to get ahead of the curve on this emerging technology. Now the hype is around the ability to upload quantum software and run it just as easily as we could deploy any other type of cloud workload. Scientists have… Read more » The post When can you start using quantum computing in the cloud? appeared first on TechHQ.

SHANGHAI: Restaurants, e-commerce platforms and delivery firms will be forced to report their utilisation of single-use plastics to the authorities and also submit formal recycling plans, China’s commerce ministry said in proposals published on Monday (Nov 30). The Ministry of Commerce said it had …

When Apple’s new additions to its Mac Mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro were announced, there was the usual Cupertino hyperbole around the new machines’ performance. As Apple’s first hardware to sport the company’s modern ARM-licensed architecture, the claims of extra speed and power were initially considered to be spurious by a cynical technology press…. Read more » The post Apple silicon heralds new era in computer performance race appeared first on TechHQ.

Business leaders teetering on the edge of a digital transformation strategy will have been well and truly pushed over the edge in 2020. Firms had to react quickly to the new world of business in lockdown. A report by Twilio found that the demands of the pandemic led businesses globally to accelerate digital communications strategies… Read more » The post Ready to automate? Three considerations for 2021 appeared first on TechHQ.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong tightened restrictions aimed at containing a rise in coronavirus cases on Monday (Nov 30), limiting gatherings to no more than two people, closing karaoke lounges and games centres and telling most civil servants to work from home. The measures come in addition to restrictions …

Taiwan will restrict the number of Indonesian workers coming to the island from this week, following a spike in the number of coronavirus infections among migrant workers arriving from the southeast Asian country, the government said on Monday.

SYDNEY: Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday (Nov 30) Canberra is seeking an apology from Beijing, after a senior Chinese official posted a fake image of an Australian soldier holding a knife with blood on it to the throat of an Afghan child. Morrison called a media briefing to …

TOKYO: The head of the Tokyo Stock Exchange stepped down over a system failure last month, the bourse’s operator said on Monday (Nov 30), after the disruption halted trade for an unprecedented full day and drew a rebuke from the regulator. Akira Kiyota, the head of Japan Exchange Group Inc, which …

PHNOM PENH: Pakistan’s lonely elephant Kaavan arrived in Cambodia by cargo plane on Monday (Nov 30) to start a new life with fellow pachyderms at a local sanctuary, the culmination of years of campaigning for his transfer by A wildlife caretaker feeds Kaavan. Cher was on the tarmac at the airport …

BEIJING: China will impose sanctions on four people over their egregious behaviour regarding the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong, it said on Monday (Nov 30). They will be banned from entering China, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing. This month, the United …

JAKARTA: Thousands have fled the scene of a rumbling Indonesian volcano that burst to life for the first time in several years, belching a massive column of smoke and ash, the disaster agency said Monday (Nov 30). The evacuation of more than 4,400 residents came as Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted …

SEOUL: Former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan was found guilty of defaming a dead priest on Monday (Nov 30), in connection with a pro-democracy uprising his troops crushed 40 years ago. The 89-year-old dozed off as the verdict was read out in Gwangju, where the 1980 demonstrations ended in a …

The voting took place after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim questioned the need for additional funding set aside for the Prime Minister’s Department.

President Ashraf Ghani is holding up a tentative agreement on the talks’ framework, some officials say. His aides say no agreement was near.

“We need to reconsider the way to fight in the future,” says Democratic Party leader Wu Chi-wai.

The judiciary is crucial to the city’s status as a global hub for trade and finance. But the Chinese Communist Party has been gaining more authority over it.

BANGKOK: Thailand was racing to track down about 200 people in its northern provinces on Monday (Nov 30) to stop a potential COVID-19 outbreak, after three Thai nationals entered the country illegally from Myanmar and tested positive days later. Three women bypassed immigration checks and entered …

SEOUL: South Korea’s ruling party has called for the country to buy millions of additional COVID-19 vaccine doses after a spike in infection numbers raised concerns about the government’s existing plans. South Korea already plans to secure enough doses to vaccinate 30 million people, or about 60 …

COLOMBO: Intermittent gunfire rang out on Monday (Nov 30) at a Sri Lankan high-security prison where a riot by inmates over a surge of coronavirus infections left at least eight dead and 55 wounded, police said. Hundreds of police surrounded the Mahara prison just outside the capital Colombo as …

Recent tensions have been connected to Jakarta’s planned extension of the region’s Special Autonomy Law.

Student activists have played crucial roles at key junctures in the nation’s history.

British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G kit after September 2021, the government said on Monday, as part of a plan to purge the Chinese firm’s equipment from high speed mobile networks.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s approval ratings fell five percentage points to 58per cent, with many unhappy with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a poll taken over the weekend by the daily Nikkei newspaper.

TOKYO: Japan’s industrial output rose for the fifth straight month in October, fuelled by stronger machinery and car production, suggesting the economic is recovering further from the damage caused by the COVID-19 crisis. The world’s third-largest economy rebounded sharply in the third quarter …

TOKYO: Japan’s three-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka has inspired a new manga character to appear in an issue of Nakayoshi magazine next month, the publishers announced on Sunday (Nov 29). Osaka, who is the world’s highest paid female athlete, is a fan of both manga and anime and took to social …

BEIJING: China’s factory activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than three years in November, keeping it on track to be the first major economy to fully recover from the coronavirus crisis. The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) rose to 52.1 in November from 51.4 in …

BANGKOK: Twitter has suspended a Thai pro-royalist account linked to the palace that a Reuters analysis found was connected to thousands of others created in recent weeks spreading posts in favour of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the monarchy. The Reuters review found tens of thousands of tweets …

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is poised to add China’s top chipmaker SMIC and national offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC to a blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies, according to a document and sources, curbing their access to US investors and escalating tensions with Beijing …

SHANGHAI: China reported 18 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday (Nov 29), up from 11 a day earlier, the national health authority said on Monday. The National Health Commission said in a statement 15 of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. It also reported three local …

Vietnam continues to be the big winner of the Trump administration’s trade war with China.

ISLAMABAD: Following years of public outcry and campaigning by American pop star Cher, the “world’s loneliest elephant” was poised on Sunday (Nov 29) to embark on a mammoth journey from Pakistan to a sanctuary in Cambodia. The famed singer and Oscar-winning actress has spent recent days at the …

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stressed the need to carry out economic policies with responsibility, as he presided over a meeting of the politburo of the ruling Workers Party, state news agency KCNA reported on Monday (Nov 30). The meeting comes during a tough year for North Korea as the …

The attacks were just the latest to have taken place since the beginning of peace talks in September

Biden’s presidency offers a chance to change the tone and approach in dealing with China, which will not be cowed by threats, say two observers.

East Asia adjusts its response to the latest coronavirus outbreak.

Thai anti-government protesters challenged on Sunday King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s personal control over some army units to condemn the military’s role in politics.

JAKARTA: A volcano in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province erupted on Sunday (Nov 29), spewing ash and smoke as high as 4km into the sky and forcing more than 2,700 residents to seek refuge, the country’s disaster mitigation agency said. Indonesia has nearly 130 active volcanoes, more than any …

South Korean authorities will consider tighter social distancing restrictions on Sunday to clamp down on economic activities after last week saw the fastest spread of infections since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sydney recorded its hottest November night as Australia’s largest city suffered through a weekend heatwave that saw daytime temperatures peak above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

NEW DELHI: Thousands of Indian farmers, angry over reform of the agriculture sector, held a third day of protests on the outskirts of the capital on Sunday (Nov 29), blocking roads into the city and defying a government appeal to move to a designated site. The government on Saturday invited …

Hong Kong reported 115 new coronavirus infections on Sunday, including 109 locally transmitted, the highest in nearly four months, as authorities battle a renewed wave of COVID-19.

A suicide car bomber struck an army base in Afghanistan on Sunday killing at least 26 security personnel, officials said, in one of the bloodiest attacks in recent months.

JAKARTA: Indonesia reported on Sunday (Nov 29) its record daily rise in COVID-19 infections with 6,267 cases, bringing the total to 534,266, data from the country’s COVID-19 task force showed. This was the third record high in a week for the country. The previous high was 5,534 new cases, reported …

SHANGHAI: Around 9,000 runners – some wearing face masks – took part in the Shanghai International Marathon on Sunday (Nov 29), Chinese media said, a rare mass event in a year when COVID-19 laid waste to most such sport. Prior to the race officials touted it as an opportunity to show how China …

Elite runners brushed off poor air quality and a surge in coronavirus cases Sunday in India’s capital for the Delhi Half Marathon, one of the country’s first major sporting events since the pandemic started.

BEIJING: A Chinese factory owned by South Korean semiconductor giant SK Hynix halted operations on Sunday (Nov 29) after a plant worker was found to have an asymptomatic COVID-19 infection, the official news agency Xinhua reported. The Korean worker based at the plant in Chongqing city since …

PETALING JAYA: The fried Hokkien prawn mee was scooped up from the wok and transferred onto a plate, white wisps of steam unfurling from the mixture of yellow noodles and rice vermicelli.  But it was not ready to be served yet.  Two big prawns were tossed into the wok. The oil sizzled, filling …

North Korea is further toughening restrictions on entering seawaters as part of elevated steps to fight the coronavirus pandemic, state media said on Sunday (Nov 29), two days after South Korea said the North had banned sea fishing.

The coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics could cost $1.9 billion more than its original budget of $13 billion, a 15 percent increase, a report said Sunday.

China on Sunday reported 11 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Nov. 28, compared with six cases a day earlier, the health authority said.

Ever watched videos of children performing a feat, or funny cat videos? Some of their creators go to great lengths you may not have imagined. The series Beyond The Viral Video explores the dark side of internet fame.

The move was disorientating but has prompted deeper reflections on what home and belonging mean, says Annisa Natalegawa.

By recognising and investing in the strengths of pioneering cities and regions, China has developed a mechanism for advancing its economic transformation, says Zhang Jun.

Kashmir people vote in local polls amid cold and security

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured three of the nation’s leading vaccine development and manufacturing sites on Saturday as coronavirus case counts continue to soar.

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said she has “piles of cash” at home as she has no bank account after the United States slapped sanctions on her in response to a security law China imposed on the city. Lam was targeted, along with 14 other senior city officials, in the toughest US action on …

BANGKOK: Thai anti-government protesters demonstrated in Bangkok’s outskirts on Saturday (Nov 28) with a duck parade and speeches demanding the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new constitution and reforms to the monarchy. Protests have been stepped up this week despite threats by …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 1,315 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (Nov 28). Apart from five imported cases, the rest were local infections. Sabah accounted for most of the new cases with 476 infections, while authorities found 266 cases in Selangor and 191 cases in Kuala Lumpur.   There were …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will hold a general election when the COVID-19 pandemic is over, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Saturday (Nov 28), shortly after he averted a showdown by winning parliamentary support for his administration’s budget.  Parliament passed Malaysia’s largest budget by a …

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 9.6 million people or 30 per cent of Malaysia’s population are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 next year, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said on Saturday (Nov 28).  He noted that the government has signed two agreements for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines …

JAKARTA: Indonesian police were on Saturday (Nov 28) searching for suspected militants accused of killing four people and burning seven houses in a village in Central Sulawesi province. National Police spokesperson Awi Setiyono said they believe Friday’s assault in Lemban Tongoa village of Sigi …

BEIJING: China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor – the Hualong One – a significant step in Beijing’s attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology. The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday (Nov …

NEW DELHI: Thousands of farmers in and around the Indian capital on Saturday (Nov 28) pressed on with their protest against agricultural legislation they said could devastate crop prices, while the government sought talks with their leaders. Some protesters burned an effigy of Prime Minister Modi …

SEOUL: South Korea has reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, the speed of viral spread unseen since the worst wave of the outbreak in spring. The 504 cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday (Nov 28) brought the national caseload to …

China built a village in territory also claimed by the kingdom of Bhutan, echoing its aggressive tactics at the border with India and in places much farther away.

President Emmanuel Macron called for reaffirming “the link of confidence that should naturally exist between the French and those who protect them.”

SHANGHAI: China on Saturday (Nov 28) reported six new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Nov 27, compared with five cases a day earlier, the health authority said. All of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement. There were no new deaths. China …

China’s ambitious pledge to be carbon-neutral before 2060 shines an uncomfortable spotlight on Europe and the US, says Kevin Tu.

FinTech has thrived in other jurisdictions compared to China because of the presence of regulation, says Chris Skinner.

JAKARTA: With the majority of their occupants studying remotely from home, the neighbourhoods near one of Indonesia’s most prestigious universities appeared quiet and desolate. Outside the gates of University of Indonesia – a vast, 320ha campus located just south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta …

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s history with the island nation and the Rajapaksa brothers is worth keeping in mind.

The World Health Organization’s top emergency expert said on Friday (Nov 27) it would be “highly speculative” for the WHO to say the coronavirus did not emerge in China, where it was first identified in a food market in December last year.

China will ban all waste imports from January 1, 2021, state media reported Friday, marking the culmination of a three-year phase-out of accepting overseas junk.

The U.K. desperately wants to join the Indo-Pacific game. But will its material circumstances allow it?

Any assessment of the health of defense industry supply chains has to distinguish the impact of the pandemic from increasing protectionism and intellectual property maneuvering.

NEW DELHI: New Delhi police agreed to let thousands of Indian farmers stage a peaceful protest inside the capital on Friday (Nov 27) after initially blocking demonstrators on the outskirts and firing tear gas and water cannon at them. The farmers are angry over new laws deregulating the vast …

American singer Cher arrived in Pakistan to send off Kaavan, the elephant she has spent years trying to free, before he is moved to a sanctuary in Cambodia on Sunday.

President Tsai Ing-wen called the submarine production crucial to Taiwan’s development of asymmetric warfare capabilities.

North Korea at present is not in the same position that Vietnam was in 1986, in large part due to differences in the security environment.

E-commerce holiday sales are expected to generate up to US$196 billion this season — a year-over-year increase of 25% to 35%, according to Deloitte’s annual forecast. And rounding off a year of rampant crisis-time cyberattacks, hackers are ready to target the holiday shopping frenzy to access customer information — the most valuable data for most… Read more » The post 4 cyber-threats coming to an e-store near you appeared first on TechHQ.

Wine joins beef, coal, barley, seafood, sugar and timber on the list of goods impacted by growing tensions between Australia and China.

BANGKOK: Thousands of Thai anti-government protesters called for an end to coups in the Southeast Asian country on Friday (Nov 27) as months of street protests fuel rumours of another military takeover. The protesters demand the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former …

Japan’s ruling party will call on the government to promote environmental investment with a major decade-long spending programme for the country, whose Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has made a green society a key policy priority.

China’s growing economic might and its aggressive military posturing have provided India, Singapore and Thailand strategic rationale to combine their efforts.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has agreed to buy 12.8 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to announce a deal with the US drugmaker after some expressed reservations over the need for ultra-cold storage. While final trial data showed that Pfizer’s …

When it’s uncertain how even the rest of the year will play out, making predictions for 2021 might seem a little bold. But while no one foresaw the world-changing events of this year, we can say with confidence that technology played a big part in helping business and society cope with and adapt to the… Read more » The post Four opportunities for tech startups in 2021 appeared first on TechHQ.

The latest data firmly establishes India’s position among the worst-performing major economies, despite government spending meant to blunt the pandemic’s impact.

Protest groups change venue to keep the peace as authorities resurrect the notorious Article 112.

The Chinese foreign minister arrived in Seoul on Wednesday night for a meeting with his Korean counterpart and President Moon Jae-in.

In September, India passed new laws that some farmers term unfair and against their interests.

Pir Afzal Qadri, a prominent figure in the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, has challenged Khadim Rizvi’s son anointment as party leader.

While the Oli-Dahal fight has reached a critical point, Oli’s government continues to engage India and China as both jostle for influence in the Himalayan nation.

Three in four (73%) of organizations worldwide are now using automation technologies, finds Deloitte The pandemic has led to a big hike in scale, with 13% now implementing more than 50 automation tools Automation technology is an expansive term, today covering anything from robotic process automation (RPA) software, ‘hard’ robotics, machine learning, and natural language… Read more » The post Automation — the true enterprise champion of 2020? appeared first on TechHQ.

Two court rulings threaten to further entrench distinctions in Japan between “regular” workers and the growing ranks of nonregular employees, many of whom are women.

The Thai concerns about the Sanakham dam come amid growing recognition of the dire state of the Mekong.

The three Iranians were imprisoned for their involvement in a plot to attack Israeli diplomats in Thailand.

Rumors have long swirled of an alliance between opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.

But more challenges loom on the horizon for Muhyiddin Yassin’s fragile governing coalition.

Three AI-related technologies that could further the free, open, resilient, and inclusive character of the Indo-Pacific.

Young actors are revolutionizing Pakistan’s film and television industry.

The Russian Navy claims that it expelled USS John S. McCain from Peter the Great Bay.

The trials of the 129 defendants, many of them former members of a banned opposition party, could drag on for months.

After a dismal showing at this month’s election, the army-backed USDP faces a long road back to respectability.

The Philippines aims vaccinate 60 to 70 million people over the next few years, falling short of an earlier promise made by President Duterte.

The arrest of Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo shows that Indonesia’s anti-corruption body is still a force to be feared.

An improved digital economy would aid social distancing measures and help promote the country’s long-term economic growth.

Top Glove produces about 90 billion rubber gloves a year, and exports to 195 countries. 

While the U.S. has evinced interest in selling armed and unarmed drones to India, a variety of reasons is preventing the country from going ahead with the purchases.

China’s new focus on testing packaging comes amid a media push to claim that frozen food imports brought the virus to Wuhan in the first place.

Bilash headed a group advocating for greater attention to the ethnic Kazakhs detained in China’s camps in Xinjiang. It got him in trouble with the Kazakh government.

Even a joint effort from China and Russia won’t be enough to shield them from U.S. economic influence.

Xi’s call came shortly after the official transition process began.

Despite symbolic assertions, European countries face fundamental constraints in establishing a larger military footprint in Asia.

India also remains concerned about Chinese infrastructure growth and relocation activities across the LAC.

Preliminary survey results suggest President-elect Biden has some convincing to do to win the confidence of Hong Kong Americans.

Diplomatic success will require better sanctions enforcement, not looser sanctions.

A bank close to Nazarbayev buys a competitor, while smaller lenders continue to fall. 

This revival of lese-majeste law marks an escalation in the authorities’ campaign against rising pro-democracy protests.

The country’s armed forces have come a long way since the years following the Vietnam War.

Japan retains some lingering perceptions of Democratic Party policies on China.

The region remains a global outlier in terms of the use of capital punishment.

As authoritarian leaders in many Southeast Asian countries use the pandemic to consolidate their hold, what needs to be done to buck the trend?

In an era of growing superpower competition, ASEAN will face stiff challenges to its autonomy and neutrality.

The final tally could amount to over $12 billion over four years, a drop from the $15 billion pledged back in 2016.

Any political settlement that doesn’t guarantee women’s rights and opportunities has failed before it has begun.

A scandal from 2018 continues to dog the former Japanese prime minister.

The U.S. and Uzbekistan aim to transition toward a “Strategic Partnership Dialogue” in 2021.

According to reports, the Indian military will test multiple Brahmos cruise missiles this week.

Wang Yi’s trip marks Beijing’s first high-level engagement with the new Suga administration.

India’s growth and global heft crucially depends on its economic openness and willingness to provide a level playing field to foreign companies.

India-Nepal relations have nosedived since May when India inaugurated a new road that, according to Nepal, passes through its territory.

The country exceeded 500,000 cases right as international researchers were moving closer to an effective vaccine.

Indonesia’s ambitious plans for a sovereign wealth fund have raised more questions than they have answered.

If successful, the lunar mission would mark a giant leap forward for China’s space program.

Robert O’Brien’s visit was intended to send a message of diplomatic continuity during the fraught transition from Trump to Biden.

“It’s not a matter of whether or not the existing power structures start to give way: it’s just a question of when.”

The Singapore model is still favored for a Cambodian political succession.

Recent flareups have shown that there is still a risk of the virus returning, despite being largely controlled within China.

As a byproduct of the mega-deal, Seoul and Tokyo are now bound by their first ever shared free trade agreement.

A court order has sent Aigul Otepova to a psychiatric clinic. Her supporters say its because of her outspoken criticism of the government.

Even amid the current tensions, the state of the relationship is more complex than headlines would suggest.

Insights from Chow Bing Ngeow.

The Malabar exercises in the Indian Ocean this month show the Quad is ready to be serious.

News programs are available as podcasts, which you can download to your computer or portable MP3 player.

A signboard welcoming Pope Francis in Yangon ahead of his November 27-30, 2017 visit to Myanmar.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (R) and his wife Ri Sol-Ju (L) watching a performance by the visiting Orchestra of 21st Century of Russia at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in a photo released Oct. 15, 2013.

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Perched on a stool in his dusty workshop in Macao, Lam Weng Io looks like a scholar or a librarian, bespectacled and in deep concentration.

There’s no shortage of reasons to fall in love with Japan.

You can smell it before you see it. The sweet smell of sugar, egg and custard, baking til it’s cooked just right. Flaky pastry on the outside, soft custard on the inside, and crispy, burnt, sugar on top.

Western Europe, North America, and Asia largely hold negative views of the Communist nation.

Many of Asia’s biggest cities owe their skylines to long bamboo poles that allow construction workers to climb to great heights.

In May 2018, Jared Sklar’s wake-up call was waiting for him when he got home from work. He opened the fridge and saw four different pizza boxes from four different restaurants.

Master shipbuilder Tam Kam Chun is on a mission. Every day, the 71-year-old spends hours at an abandoned Macao shipyard, hunched over a table, hard at work. With only stray dogs for company and a single electric fan to keep him cool, he meticulously hand-crafts the sort of fishing boats that have been made here for generations.

Eating more plants and less meat has been tied to a longer life and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease in a new study.

Thanks in part to its serpentine shape and lengthy coastline, Vietnam is home to wildly diverse landscapes.

The women range in age from the mid-60s to the early 80s. They love to dance and sing. And twice a week, they come to a gym in Cosmo City, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, to box. They are affectionately known as South Africa’s “boxing grannies,” and these women are juking and jabbing their way to healthier lives.

As soon as the sun sets in Hanoi, Vietnam, there’s only one place to be: the corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets.

Villagers were demanding compensation for land that had been taken from them for a real estate development project.

The guilty verdict sparked protests across Phnom Penh and corruption allegations against Prime Minister Hun Sen’s government.

In the last five years the number of pepper farms has increased by 4,600 hectares, but farmers can’t find water to irrigate their fields.

The economy confronts another challenge as the U.S. Treasury further limits its access to world financial markets.

During the ritual, the animals ate rice, corn, and beans instead of the other offerings.

Kim Jong-Un was elected Chairman of the Workers’ Party and said he would continue North Korea’s nuclear program.