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Big thaw hits Harbin’s famous ice sculptures

BEIJING: Ice and snow sculptures carved by nearly 10,000 artists in the city of Harbin have melted during a sudden warm spell, forcing the earliest closure of the main venue at China’s biggest winter festival.

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Food stall attendant jailed over barbaric attack

SINGAPORE: A food stall attendant launched a “barbaric” attack on a man he accused of staring at him, stomping on his face, punching him until he fell unconscious and leaving him needing facial reconstruction surgery.

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Singapore lowers duty-free allowance

SINGAPORE: From midnight yesterday, returning travellers will have a smaller allowance on tax-exempt overseas shopping.

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Singapore launches Invincible

KIEL (Germany): Singapore’s acquisition of four new Type 218SG submarines, which offer more firepower and combat options, is a timely move as maritime security challenges evolve and countries beef up their submarine fleets, said Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen.

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IATA objects to Bali’s tourist tax proposal

DENPASAR: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed its objection to a plan of the Bali administration to impose a levy on foreign tourists that may be included in airline tickets.

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‘Monster’ husband gets 25 years for sex abuse

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man described as a “monster” by prosecutors was sentenced to 25-and-a-half years in jail for forcing his wife into prostitution and sexually abusing their six-year-old daughter and a niece.

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Visitors crash museum website

BEIJING: “Palace Museum will extend its opening hours to the evening for the first time for two consecutive nights in celebration of this year’s Lantern Festival,” museum curator Shan Jixiang said at an event over the weekend.

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Mongolia closes KFC outlets due to poisoning

ULAN BATOR: Mongolia's capital has temporarily closed all Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlets after around 40 people were hospitalised with food poisoning, Chinese state media reported.

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‘Pregnant’ cat burglar smuggled kittens through Taiwan airport

TAIPEI: An alleged cat burglar from Hong Kong reportedly smuggled two stolen Persian kittens through Taiwan’s biggest airport by hiding them under her clothes and pretending to be pregnant.

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Keeping flame of molten steel ‘fireworks’ alive

NUANQUAN: Blacksmith Wang De flings a ladle of molten steel against a cold brick wall, sparking a spectacle of white-hot light in the night sky and keeping alive the flame of a centuries-old Lunar New Year tradition.

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US ‘cannot crush Huawei’

BEIJING: Huawei Technologies Co.’s founder Ren Zhengfei said “there’s no way the US can crush us”, according to an interview he gave to the BBC.

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China tourists spent the most in Europe

PARIS: Chinese holidaymakers shelled out the most money in European countries over the Lunar New Year.

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US toys may face ‘price shocks’

NEW YORK: For Jason Cheung, who owns a 40-year-old family business that makes educational toys, it is difficult to imagine moving production out of China, where his company has manufactured its products since the firm’s founding.

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Huawei founder says CFO's arrest was politically motivated

(Reuters): Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said on Monday that the arrest of his daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, was politically motivated.

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‘Noise, smoke near debate was fireworks’

JAKARTA: Indonesian police said a suspected explosion outside the venue of a live presidential debate in the capital Jakarta was caused by fireworks.

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Vietnam police seize 300kg of methamphetamine

HANOI: A massive haul of nearly 300kg of methamphetamine pills was seized in central Vietnam, police said.

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Thai summer’s heat to spike

Bangkok: People must brace for extreme heat in the days to come, as an extraordinarily hot and arid summer has been forecast for Thailand from Thursday, while seven provinces in the north and the west are expected to experience extreme heat of 40°C to 44°C, experts have warned.

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Kim due to arrive in Vietnam next Monday

HANOI: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will arrive in Vietnam next Monday, ahead of a planned second summit with US President Donald Trump, three sources with direct knowledge of Kim’s schedule said.

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Batam planning two special economic zones

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Batam island has proposed developing two special economic zones (SEZs), offering bigger tax breaks for businesses, including those from Singa­pore, and income tax relief for workers.

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‘Unicorn’ baffles candidate

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s presidential candidates debated some of the most pressing issues facing the world’s third-largest democracy: dilapidated infrastructure, struggling farmers, forest fires – and unicorns.