Southeast Asia

Sub-agents, bribes and other woes of migrant workers in Malaysia

Adrian Pereira of North-South Initiative said Malaysia needs a comprehensive law or agreement with the migrant workers country to clearly define and cap recruitment fees
11 February 2023, 05:27 AM

Taliban detain Afghan educator

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have “beaten and detained” an academic who voiced outrage on live television against their ban on women’s university education, his aide said yesterday.
3 February 2023, 18:00 PM

Myanmar extends state of emergency by six months

Myanmar's National Defence and Security Council has agreed to extend the country's state of emergency by six months, state media said Wednesday, likely delaying elections the junta had pledged to hold by August..Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing's request to prolong the state of emergency declar
1 February 2023, 13:44 PM

6.0-magnitude quake rocks southern Philippines

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, with local authorities warning of aftershocks and possible damage.
1 February 2023, 11:27 AM

Two years on, Myanmar coup takes a 'catastrophic toll'

Two years after Myanmar's military coup, a young factory worker turned resistance fighter mourns the loss of his leg in battle. A former diplomat has not seen his family in four years.
31 January 2023, 16:45 PM

Myanmar slapped with fresh sanctions on eve of coup anniversary

The United States and its allies will impose further sanctions on Myanmar on Tuesday, marking the two-year anniversary of the coup with curbs on energy officials and members of the junta, among others..Washington will impose sanctions on the Union Election Commission, mining enterprises, e
31 January 2023, 16:29 PM

51 killed in Pakistan transport tragedies

At least 51 people were killed in two separate transport accidents in western Pakistan yesterday, when a bus plunged off a bridge and a boat carrying a class of children capsized.
29 January 2023, 18:00 PM

UN aid chief raises concerns with Taliban

The United Nations’ aid chief visited Kabul on Monday and raised concerns over women’s education and work with the Taliban administration’s acting minister of foreign affairs, an Afghan ministry statement said.
24 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Power returns to Pakistan after outage

The national power grid was restored in Pakistan, the energy minister said yesterday, a day after a nationwide breakdown left most of the country’s 220 million people without electricity and caused tens of millions of dollars in industry losses.
24 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Fighting flares between junta and rebels in Myanmar’s Karen state

Fighting has flared in recent days between Myanmar junta forces and rebels opposed to their rule, officials and locals said today, with reports that large numbers of civilians have fled the violence.
24 January 2023, 11:28 AM

Tackling birth rate crisis ‘cannot wait’

Japan’s low birth rate and ageing population pose an urgent risk to society, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said yesterday, pledging to address the issue by establishing a new government agency.
23 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Fault in nat’l grid: Pakistan hit with major power outage

A massive power breakdown in Pakistan yesterday affected most of the country’s more than 220 million people, including in the mega cities of Karachi and Lahore.
23 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Deadly plane crash: Nepal finds all but 1 missing person

Rescuers used drones and abseiled down a deep gorge yesterday looking for the last missing person from Nepal’s worst air disaster in 30 years, in which at least 71 people died including small children.
17 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Pak PM makes conditional talks offer to India

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a conditional offer to his Indian counterpart to open talks on all outstanding issues between them, including disputed Kashmir, which he believes could be facilitated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
17 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Vietnam president resigns amid major anti-graft purge

Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has resigned, state media said Tuesday, after days of rumours he was about to be sacked amid a major anti-corruption drive that has seen several ministers fired.
17 January 2023, 09:55 AM

Gunmen shoot dead Afghan ex-lawmaker

Gunmen shot dead an Afghan former lawmaker and one of her bodyguards in the capital Kabul in a night-time attack at her home, police said yesterday.
15 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Punjab assembly dissolved on Imran’s orders

The provincial assembly in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, was dissolved late Saturday, in a move orchestrated by former prime minister Imran Khan as part of a bid to force early general elections.
15 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Air strikes near India border: Myanmar junta hits ethnic rebels

Myanmar's junta has carried out air strikes on an ethnic armed group's base near the border with India, the rebels and media said Wednesday, with one bomb landing close to the international boundary.
11 January 2023, 13:46 PM

Pak minister in Geneva to secure IMF bailout fund

Pakistan has stepped up efforts to secure money from an international money lender and a friendly state as the South Asian country faces an unprecedented economic crisis.
8 January 2023, 18:00 PM

Myanmar Jail Riot: Prisoner killed, dozens wounded

A prisoner was killed and more than 60 wounded after a riot broke out at a Myanmar prison west of Yangon, the junta said yesterday.
7 January 2023, 18:00 PM