Vietnam

What to know about Vietnam's Communist Party congress

HANOI: Vietnam's ruling Communist Party opens its twice-a-decade congress on Monday (Jan 19), finalising its leadership roster for the next five years and outlining plans for the fast-growing South-East Asian manufacturing hub.

Philippines

Death toll rises to 35 in Philippine dumpsite collapse

MANILA: More bodies were recovered from beneath heaps of garbage and twisted steel at the site of a collapsed facility in the central Philippine city of Cebu, bringing the death toll to 35, the city's Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Saturday (Jan 17), reported Xinhua.

Thailand

Why Thailand's deadly construction accidents are sparking outrage and scrutiny

BANGKOK: Thailand's construction industry is under intense scrutiny following a series of high-profile deadly accidents. These include a crane falling onto a moving passenger train this past week and the collapse of an office tower a year ago that killed nearly 100 workers.

Nation

Immigration smashes human trafficking syndicate following 'safe house' raid in Kelantan

PETALING JAYA: A human trafficking syndicate has been busted following a raid by the Immigration Department in Kelantan.

Indonesia

Debris believed to be missing ATR 42-500 found on Bulusaraung Hill - Makassar

JAKARTA: Large debris believed to be from a missing ATR 42-500 aircraft has been discovered on Bulusaraung Hill in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Sunday morning (Jan 18), near the area where the patrol aircraft was reported to have lost contact with air traffic control.

Singapore

LO or no? Singapore's Workers' Party faces tough trade-offs in decision over Leader of the Opposition role

SINGAPORE: Just hours after Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh was removed as Leader of the Opposition (LO), he was knocking on doors in his Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC.

Sabah & Sarawak

Lamag polls: BN candidate launches manifesto, outlining seven pledges

KINABATANGAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) tonight launched its manifesto for the Lamag state by-election, themed "Lamag Wajah Baharu", outlining seven pledges for voters in the constituency.

Nation

Port Dickson beach declared safe following isolated jellyfish incident

SEREMBAN: Port Dickson beach remains safe for visitors and water activities, despite an isolated incident three days ago in which a teenage girl was stung by a jellyfish.

Asia & Oceania

A State of Trance to celebrate 25th anniversary with Vietnam debut

Ho Chi Minh City will be the only South-East Asian stop in the EDM festival's anniversary tour.

Technology

Elon Musk's X limits Grok's sexually explicit AI image generation

X's chatbot Grok is getting restrictions on its ability to sexualise photos of people after weeks of international criticism and complaints that the software was digitally "undressing" women.

Nation

Kg Jalan Papan residents press DAP to deliver housing promises before GE16

KLANG: A group of residents from Kampung Papan turned up unannounced at the Selangor DAP convention to demand that promises made in the previous general election be fulfilled.

Nation

PLKN Pekan camp hits capacity: Trainees sent home can join next intake, skip selection process

PETALING JAYA: The National Service Training Department has apologised for the current intake at a camp in Pekan exceeding capacity, with trainees who were told to return home being able to join the next intake without the selection process.

AseanPlus News

Heavy rains in eastern Australia spark flash floods, 20 rescued

SYDNEY: Australian authorities on Sunday (Jan 18) said 20 people were rescued from floodwaters in the eastern state of New South Wales after torrential rains sparked warnings for residents to move to higher ground

Nation

Woman loses over RM330,000 to non-existent investment scam

KUCHING: A 40-year-old woman has lost RM339,486 after she was allegedly defrauded by a non-existent stock investment scheme.

Nation

PJ man arrested after video of child abuse goes viral

PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested a 38-year-old local man here after a video of him physically abusing children went viral on social media.

India

‘Tiger Tiger, burning bright’: The scourge of AI-generated wildlife videos in India

NEW DELHI: A man is sitting on a porch outside a house in the fading evening light. Suddenly, a growling tiger emerges from behind a fence and lunges at him, grabbing him by the neck and pulling him into the wild.

AseanPlus News

Smog alert: Nearly 1,200 brick kilns in Nepal start firing

KATHMANDU: Nearly 1,200 brick kiln operators across the country started seasonal firing on Jan 15, further exacerbating air quality, which is already worsening every day.

South Korea

Foreign maids under South Korea’s pilot project overworked, underpaid: Poll

SEOUL: Foreign housekeepers employed locally under a government pilot project launched two years ago were severely underpaid and had to do extra work that was not agreed upon, a survey showed on Jan 17.

Living

Second-hand shopping in China has evolved into a trendy, eco-friendly lifestyle

The thrill of finding a 'hidden gem' is why more people are hitting thrift stores and second-hand shops.

Children

Keeping our children safe on the road

It may be 'just a short trip', but accidents can happen anywhere at anytime, and children are frequently the tragic victims.