KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s northern state of Penang has barred entry by overseas visitors seeking medical treatment until it finalises new health and safety procedures in light of the coronavirus crisis, the chief minister said on Monday. Authorities ... More »
KUANTAN, Malaysia (Reuters) – Some skin, eggs and tissue samples are all that remain of Malaysia’s last rhino, Iman, who died last November after years of failed breeding attempts. Now scientists are pinning their hopes on experimental stem cell technology to ... More »
LONDON/TOKYO (Reuters) – Euro zone manufacturing activity expanded modestly last month, its first growth since early 2019, and Asia’s pain eased as the contraction slowed in export-reliant nations, adding to hopes the sector is emerging from the hit of the cor... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia is considering making face masks compulsory in public following the emergence of 13 new coronavirus clusters since the government relaxed broad curbs on movement and businesses last month, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia will ask Bangladesh to take back about 300 Rohingya refugees detained after a boat carrying them entered its waters this week, the southeast Asian nation’s defence minister said on Tuesday. Malaysia does not recognise refugee ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia criticised the World Health Organisation on Monday for advising adults to avoid palm oil in their diet during the COVID-19 outbreak and use alternatives such as olive oil. The WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office said in ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Alex Marquez celebrated a first MotoGP win — even if only virtually — in a ‘#StayAtHomeGP’ esports race featuring 10 top riders including older brother and six-time world champion Marc. Due to the coronavirus pandemic that has brought live s... More »
(Reuters) – As China reopens its economy after months of lockdown, Apple Inc’s (AAPL.O) iPhone factories are largely up and running. But with the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the world, the urgent question for the company is how many buyers there will... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – AirAsia Group Bhd (AIRA.KL) said on Friday an independent probe into corruption allegations from Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has found the Malaysian airline’s procurement process with European planemaker Airbus SE (AIR.PA) rob... More »
DEPOK, Indonesia (Reuters) – While many Muslims in Indonesia’s capital accepted advice to avoid religious gatherings and prayed at home on Friday elsewhere in the world’s most populous Muslim country, people ignored the risk of coronavirus and crowded into the... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia will mobilise the army to help enforce curbs on movement aimed at reining in the coronavirus, the government said on Friday, as it grapples with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia. Malaysia reported 130 new inf... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A fire killed five people at a refining and petrochemicals complex in southern Malaysia owned by Petronas and Saudi Aramco, authorities said on Monday. It was the second fire in less than a year at the $27 billion Pengerang Integrated ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has submitted a letter of resignation to the country’s king, his office said on Monday, leaving the government in limbo amid talk of forming a new governing coalition. The fate of Malaysia’s ru... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad has quit his Bersatu party after unexpectedly resigning as prime minister on Monday amid a power tussle, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. It was not immediately clear why Mahathir lef... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s own security standards will dictate which companies take part in its planned 5G rollout this year, its communications minister told Reuters on Monday, as the United States pushes countries to exclude China’s Huawei [HWT.UL].... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A small factory in Malaysia’s capital is preparing thousands of ready-to-eat halal meals, from fried rice to chicken biryani, to be shipped off to Japan for 2020’s biggest sporting event. Food firms from Muslim-majority Malaysia, are e... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s economic growth in the fourth quarter is expected to have slowed to its weakest since mid-2016 on weaker private consumption and external demand, a Reuters poll showed. The median forecast from the poll of 13 economists was ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Badminton World Federation (BWF) said on Monday it has approved synthetic feather shuttlecocks for its international tournaments from next year as it bids to cut down on waste. The governing body said it collaborated with Japanese spor... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) say a new strain of coronavirus is behind the outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, which has erupted just ahead of the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest festival... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) say a new strain of coronavirus is behind the outbreak of pneumonia in the central city of Wuhan, which has erupted just ahead of the Lunar New Year, the country’s biggest festival... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Badminton world number one Kento Momota was injured in a pre-dawn vehicle collision in Malaysia on Monday, just hours after he secured his first victory of the season at the Malaysia Masters. The Japanese shuttler and three others were... More »
MERIMBULA, Australia/SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian authorities urged another mass evacuation across the heavily populated southeast on Thursday as a return of hot weather fanned huge bushfires threatening several towns and communities. Victoria state Premier D... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Can you make an egg stand on its narrow side during a solar eclipse? According to a popular scientific theory, an egg will support itself that way when the moon obscures the sun and during the spring equinox, due to increased gravity. ... More »
(Reuters) – The Malaysian Open will return to the Asian Tour next year following a four-year hiatus, officials said on Monday. The event will offer a purse of $1 million and be held at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club March 5-8. The Malaysian Open became the ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s health authorities on Sunday said they are working with UNICEF to bring polio vaccines to the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, where the country’s first polio case in nearly three decades was detected last week. A three-m... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – A deadly virus called Nipah carried by bats has already caused human outbreaks across South and South East Asia and has “serious epidemic potential”, global health and infectious disease specialists said on Monday. The virus, identified in 1... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – A three-month-old Malaysian infant has been diagnosed with polio, the first case reported in the country in nearly three decades, a top health official said on Sunday. The baby boy from Tuaran in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia ordered an investigation on Monday into what the government called a half-naked tattoo show held in the capital Kuala Lumpur, after pictures of heavily-inked men and women circulated on social media in the Muslim-majority nati... More »
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Several Asian airlines have cut flights to Hong Kong over the coming weeks, an industry scheduling publication showed, as anti-government protests in the city grow increasingly violent and disrupt daily life. Routes Online said the latest sc... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded Malaysia’s air safety rating, restricting the country’s airlines from adding flights to the United States, four sources familiar with the matter and a U.S. government offici... More »
(Reuters) – Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia Group Bhd (AIRA.KL) said on Monday it would transfer two slots on its Kuala Lumpur-Singapore route, its most profitable, to long-haul sister airline AirAsia X Bhd (AIRX.KL), which has been struggling financially. Th... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand still has time to renegotiate with the United States over a suspension of duty-free preferences on imports of Thai goods before the suspension takes effect in April, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Monday. The United St... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Asian countries held conclusive talks on what could be the world’s biggest trade pact and there will be an announcement of success at a summit in Bangkok, despite doubts raised by India, the Thai hosts said on Monday. But questions still hu... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – India is going to continue talks on an Asia-wide trade deal that is being discussed at a summit of regional leaders in Bangkok and which Thailand has said will be signed next year, Australia’s trade minister said on Monday. The comments thr... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand said on Sunday that Southeast Asian nations are committed to signing a pact by February 2020 on forging what could become the world’s largest trade bloc, even after new demands by India dealt a blow to the process backed by China. ... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Talks to agree what could be the world’s biggest trade bloc were conclusive and an announcement on their success will be made later on Monday, Thailand’s commerce minister said on Monday. The prospects of reaching agreement on the 16-nation... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – DreamWorks’ animated movie “Abominable” will not be released in Malaysia after its producers declined to meet a censor board requirement to cut a scene showing China’s “nine-dash line” in the South China Sea, the movie distributor said... More »
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia warned its citizens of more choking smoke from forest fires on Tuesday as several provinces closed schools due to worsening air quality. An El Nino weather pattern this year has intensified annual dry-season fires, often caused by... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia is considering banning the sale of electronic cigarettes, its health minister said on Monday, citing growing reports of deaths in the United States linked to e-cigarettes and vaping. As of Friday, U.S. authorities had reported... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – E-cigarette or vaping-linked lung injuries that have killed 29 and sickened more than 1,000 people in the United States are likely to be rare in Britain and other countries where the suspect products are not widely used, specialists said on ... More »
LONDON (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp has appointed Bank of America Merrill Lynch to run the sale of its Malaysian oil and gas assets as the U.S. firm accelerates a vast disposal program, banking and industry sources said. The Malaysian assets, which include sta... More »
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said his Chinese counterpart has offered Manila a controlling stake in a joint energy venture in the South China Sea, if it sets aside an international arbitral award that went against Beijing. Duterte sa... More »
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Thousands of Indonesians prayed for rain in haze-hit towns on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo on Wednesday, as forest fires raged at the height of the dry season, the state Antara news agency reported. Fires have burnt through parts of Su... More »
LAGOS (Reuters) – “Oya!” shouts the director in Nigerian Pidgin English. Actors take their marks. Lighting blinks on. The film crew snaps into action after the order to hurry up. It’s another day in Nollywood, the affectionate nickname for Nigeria’s film indus... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia saw a rise in deaths caused by dengue to 113 by August 3, compared to 70 cases in the same period last year, the health ministry said on Saturday. It also said the total of dengue cases from the start of the year to early Augu... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – The Singapore prime minister’s estranged brother has thrown his support behind a newly-formed opposition party in an intriguing twist ahead of elections expected to be held as soon as this year. In Facebook comments made late Sunday, Lee ... More »
JAKARTA (Reuters) – Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab on Monday said it will invest $2 billion into Indonesia over five years using capital received from Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp, which wants to increase its exposure to the region’s most populous marke... More »
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Factory activity contracted in most Asian countries last month as an escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing raised fears of a global economic downturn and heaped pressure on policymakers in the region and beyond to roll out m... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore, the tiny Southeast Asian city-state, is an unlikely place for a farming revolution. With tiered fish farms, vegetable plots atop office buildings and lab-grown shrimp, the island aims to beef up its own food production and rely... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Renewable energy investment in the Asia-Pacific region will overtake spending on oil and gas exploration by 2020, consultancy Rystad Energy said on Monday. Total capital expenditure in renewables will rise above $30 billion in the region ... More »
(Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday it had charged former Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel and wealthy Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, popularly known as “Jho Low,” for conspiring to steer illegal foreign campaign funds into th... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Monday, a move that could anger Beijing at a time of tense relations between the world’s two biggest economies. The South China Sea... More »
BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday its navy warned U.S. ships sailing near islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea to leave the area and that the U.S. should stop such provocative acts. Two U.S. guided-missile destroyers traveled within 12 naut... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Sun bears, the smallest of the world’s eight bear species, are generally solitary animals, content to spend most of their time alone outside mating season, foraging for fruit, rodents, birds and insects in Southeast Asian tropical forest... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore Telecommunications Ltd said on Monday it has signed a partnership to enable the use of its cross-border mobile wallet platform in Japan, as the telecom operator moves ahead with its digital payments expansion. The partnership wi... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian prosecutors on Monday said they would issue summonses to units of U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs in London and Hong Kong, requiring them to respond by June to criminal charges filed against them last year. Soon after bein... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – An Indonesian woman accused in the 2017 killing of the North Korean leader’s half-brother was freed on Monday, as a Malaysian court dropped the murder charge against her in a case that drew suspicions of being a political assassination... More »
SEOUL (Reuters) – State-owned Saudi Aramco plans to invest up to $1.6 billion for a nearly 20 percent stake in South Korean refiner Hyundai Oilbank, expanding its foothold in one of its biggest Asian buyers of crude oil. Saudi Aramco is already the biggest sha... More »
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippines security forces investigating a deadly twin bombing at a church on a predominantly Muslim southern island are zeroing in on what they say is an affiliate of the militant Abu Sayyaf Group. Twenty people were killed and more than 1... More »
GENEVA (Reuters) – The palm oil industry is deploying tactics similar to those of the alcohol and tobacco industries to influence research into the health effects of its product, a study published by the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Evidence of t... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia is seeking $7.5 billion in reparations from Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) over its dealings with scandal-linked state fund 1MDB, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Friday, citing the finance minister. Separately, Bloomberg ... More »
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive David Solomon on Friday defended the bank against criticism of its compliance and oversight related to dealings with the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, according to a message sent to employees obtained ... More »
PARIS/JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s Lion Air is reviewing airplane purchases from Boeing Co and has not ruled out canceling orders as relations worsen in a spat over responsibility for a 737 jetliner crash that killed 189 people in late October. Co-founder R... More »
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A former U.S. Justice Department employee pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to deceive banks about millions of dollars in foreign lobbying funds, after he facilitated the financing of a lobbying campaign related to the U.S. investig... More »
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India fired a rocket carrying 31 satellites into space on Thursday, including its own advanced earth observation satellite among the other smaller ones launched for eight countries. The rocket launched from the southern state of Andhra Pr... More »
(Reuters) – Malaysian officials investigating a multibillion-dollar corruption scheme linked to a Malaysian state fund and former Prime Minister Najib Razak plan to meet with U.S. officials in Washington, U.S. and Malaysian sources familiar with the plans told... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS.N) banker is in talks with U.S. prosecutors to potentially plead guilty to criminal charges stemming from an alleged scheme to steal billions of dollars from a Malaysian state investment fund, the Wal... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s cabinet is discussing setting up a special task force to investigate alleged corruption during the purchase of two French submarines in 2002 when the defense ministry was headed by ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak. Since hi... More »
NILAI, Malaysia (Reuters) – Malaysia has made its largest ever seizure of crystal methamphetamine, officials said on Monday, finding nearly 1.2 tonnes of the drug disguised as tea in a shipment from Myanmar, and arrested six suspected traffickers. The bust com... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Ride-hailing firm Grab will partner with Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), Malaysia’s biggest bank, to drive the usage and adoption of its GrabPay mobile wallet, the companies said in a statement on Monday. Grab, which received its e-money l... More »
MANILA (Reuters) – The Philippines expressed “serious concerns” over the presence of China’s strategic bombers in the disputed South China Sea and its foreign ministry has taken “appropriate diplomatic action”, the spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte said o... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Amid mounting suspense in Malaysia, former leader Najib Razak is expected to give a statement to an anti-graft agency on Tuesday explaining what he knew about $10.6 million transferred into his bank account from a unit of a state fund ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Zeti Akhthar Aziz, a senior adviser to the Malaysian government, said on Tuesday that a strategy for removal of the goods and services tax (GST) would be announced within one hundred days, but assured investors that fiscal balance can ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s aviation regulator on Tuesday denied it had ordered budget airline AirAsia to cancel extra flights to help voters return home for Malaysia’s recent election. The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) said it had lodged a po... More »
TOKYO (Reuters) – Newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday he may remain premier for up to two years and will play a role in the background even after he steps down. Mahathir, 92, whose four-party coalition won a shock victory ov... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s general election on Wednesday will be an extraordinary contest, pitting a 92-year-old former authoritarian leader and a jailed reformist he fell out with 20 years ago against a prime minister who has been mired in a multi-bi... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak and his ruling coalition face their toughest general election on Wednesday with an unprecedented challenge from his former mentor turned opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad. Najib is under pressure ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s central bank is expected to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a policy meeting on Thursday, a day after the country holds a general election, a Reuters poll showed. Eleven economists polled by Reuters were unani... More »
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (Reuters) – Malaysian opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad challenged the government to charge him under an anti-fake news law, after authorities said they were investigating him for false claims that his plane was sabotaged ahead of the gene... More »
KUANTAN, Malaysia (Reuters) – When Malaysia’s political parties unfurled their election flags and banners this month, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s critics sniggered on social media that the manufacturer named on banners of his ruling coalition was Chinese. Mah... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian regulators will look into the activity of automated accounts on Twitter, known as bots, in the run-up to a general election if they get complaints about them, the communications and multimedia minister said. Reuters reported ... More »
(Reuters) – President Donald Trump said late on Thursday he would only consider joining the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement if it were a “substantially better” deal than the one offered to President Barack Obama. “We already have bilateral d... More »
(Reuters) – Senior scholars in Islamic finance are exploring ways to prevent legal disputes that have roiled the industry, with new rules aiming to clarify responsibilities, while others raise the prospect of penalties for their peers. The discussions are part... More »
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Malaysia Airlines has launched a fresh tender process for 20-30 widebody jets that could supersede a deal with Boeing Co (BA.N) agreed during a high-profile U.S. visit by the country’s prime minister last year, a source with knowledge of ... More »
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia will hold a general election on May 9, the Election Commission (EC) said on Tuesday, in what could be the toughest test of the ruling-coalition’s 61-year grip on power. Embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak is under pressure to... More »
MANILA/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Philippines and Malaysia said on Monday they will look into whether Uber Technologies’ [UBER.UL] move to sell its Southeast Asian business to ride-hailing rival Grab hinders competition, days after Singapore began a probe into t... More »
GOLD COAST, Australia (Reuters) – The Commonwealth Games has become a multi-sports party that struggles to pull high-profile guests but enthusiastic host Australia has promised a beach-side bash on the Gold Coast to reaffirm the event’s place in the global lan... More »
GOLD COAST, Australia (Reuters) – Athletes to watch at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: NICOL DAVID (Squash, Malaysia) The eight-times world champion is facing unknown territory entering a competition where she is not a favorite for the title having had a sl... More »
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thailand aims to seek membership in a landmark Asia-Pacific trade agreement this year, a deputy prime minister said on Thursday. The government has asked the commerce ministry to look into the details on how to join the 11-member Comprehens... More »
FILE PHOTO – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern smiles as she answers a question during a media conference in Sydney, Australia, November 5, 2017. REUTERS/David Gray/File photo WELLINGTON (Reuters) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Mon... More »
FILE PHOTO: An orangutan hold its baby at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo island on January 11, 2004. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Hunting by people and habitation destruction b... More »
FILE PHOTO: A container ship is seen at the shipping terminal Eurokai in the Port of Hamburg, Germany November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo LONDON/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Euro zone factories ended 2017 growing at their fastest pace in more than two ... More »
FILE PHOTO: Commuters pass by the front of the Bangladesh central bank building in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ashikur Rahman/File Photo DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh’s central bank has asked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to join a lawsui... More »
Israeli police preparing for a Palestinian "day of rage" increased their presence in Jerusalem on Friday but set no extra restrictions on access for worshippers at the flashpoint Al Aqsa Mosque, saying they had no indication of unrest there. More »
A manufacturer displays camera housing during the China Public Security Expo in Shenzhen, China October 30, 2017. Picture taken Octoberr 30, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip LONDON/HONG KONG (Reuters) – Global manufacturing expanded at the fastest pace in years last mo... More »
A Balinese man sits as Mount Agung volcano erupts at Lempuyang Temple in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) – Indonesia raised its warning for Bali’s Mount Agung volcano to the top level fou... More »
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the plight of Rohingya refugees and extra-judicial killings in the Philippines at a summit of Asian and Western leaders on Tuesday, sensitive human rights issues skirted by almost all the others. More »
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said he raised the issue of human rights and extrajudicial killings during a conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was "receptive" to his comments. More »
A planned meeting of leaders of the 11 countries in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) to decide on the fate of the trade pact did not take place on Friday, amid disagreements over how to take it forward without the United States. More »
Paintings created by an Indian elephant who enjoys wielding a brush were auctioned off by a Hungarian traveling circus on Saturday. More »
