Asia & Oceania

China's Dunhuang draws more tourists in winter

Gansu province's heritage hub is welcoming more visitors with new attractions, ticket discounts and expanded flights.

Nation

Shah Alam's first female mayor vows swift, decisive leadership

SHAH ALAM: Making decisions fast is the motto of the newly appointed Shah Alam mayor, Datuk Zabidah Safar, who is the first female to hold the post in the Selangor state capital city.

Nation

S'pore PM Lawrence Wong arrives in Malaysia for special visit

SEPANG: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has arrived in Malaysia for a special visit to meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

China

Budweiser and Heineken face polar opposite fates in China as punters favour home comforts

Beer drinkers in China are veering away from bars and high-end restaurants, instead opting for cheaper stay-at-home options, analysts say

Sabah & Sarawak

Over 400 flee homes as floods hit Kota Marudu, Pitas

KOTA KINABALU: The number of flood evacuees in Kota Marudu and Pitas districts has risen to more than 406 people, involving 124 families from 24 villages.

Japan

Fans flock to Japan zoo to see viral baby monkey Punch, finds comfort in stuffed orangutan, and charms crowd

Dozens of fans flocked to a Japanese zoo on Friday to catch a glimpse of a baby macaque who shot to social media stardom months after being abandoned by his mother.

Nation

Johor MACC committed to working closely with state govt to enhance good governance, strengthen integrity

PETALING JAYA: The Johor branch of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is committed to working closely with the Johor state government to enhance good governance and strengthen the culture of integrity in the state.

World

Police search royal mansion as investigation into king's brother goes on

SANDRINGHAM, England, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British ⁠police were searching the former mansion of King Charles' younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on Friday after a photograph of the royal emerging from a police station was splashed on ⁠newspapers around the world.

Nation

PAS to discuss Opposition Leader position on Feb 22, says Hadi

MARANG: The PAS central committee meeting scheduled for this Sunday (Feb 22), is expected to discuss whether the party will take over the post of Parliamentary Opposition Leader, previously held by former Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin.

Cambodia

EU deforestation regulations seen as opportunity for Cambodia's exporters

PHNOM PENH: Emerging EU due diligence regulations are being framed not as simple compliance obligations but as a strategic opportunity for Cambodian exporters to strengthen their global competitiveness, officials and industry representatives explained, during a Feb 17 workshop in Phnom Penh.

World

Snow-induced halt to flights in Vienna extended until 1100 GMT

VIENNA, Feb ⁠20 (Reuters) - The suspension ⁠of flights at ‌Vienna Airport on Friday due to heavy snowfall has ​been extended by ⁠three hours ⁠until midday (1100 GMT) and delays ⁠are ‌expected to continue well ⁠beyond then, the company ​said ‌in a statement.

Nation

Anwar seeks swift passage of Bill limiting PM to two terms

KUALA LANGAT: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a Bill limiting the prime minister's tenure to two terms, or a maximum of 10 years, to be expedited and passed at the next parliamentary sitting.

Myanmar

Resistance leader in Myanmar turns himself in to army after clashing with rival force

BANGKOK: A prominent leader of an independent resistance group in Myanmar that had come under attack by rivals who are loyal to the mainstream opposition force has surrendered to the country's military authorities, state media reported Thursday (Feb 19).

Cycling

Motorcycling-Aprilia's Martin cleared for MotoGP return at Buriram pre-season test

Feb 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Former MotoGP champion Jorge Martin ⁠will make his on-track return ‌in the final pre-season test at Buriram after receiving clearance from the FIM ​Grand Prix World Championship ⁠medical unit, ⁠his Aprilia team announced on Friday.

Badminton

Chong Wei says Zii Jia's injury not serious, understands his situation

PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has given assurance that professional men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia's recent injury that saw him withdrawing from next week's German Open is not serious.

Thailand

Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul moves into contention at her home LPGA tournament in Thailand

World No. 1-ranked Jeeno Thitikul shot a 9-under 63 on Friday that moved her into second place at her home LPGA Thailand tournament on the Siam Country Club Old Course.

Nation

Police seek public help to locate Myanmar teen missing since Jan 31

IPOH: Police are seeking public assistance to locate a teenage girl who has been reported missing since Jan 31.

Nation

Police inspector recharged with failing to arrest suspect under Arms Act

KUALA LUMPUR: A police inspector, who was previously freed from a charge of failing to arrest a suspect under the Arms Act, was recharged in a Magistrate's Court here Friday (Feb 20) on the same offence.

Singapore

‘Dangerous and volatile’ Singapore woman jailed for assaulting four, including cop and elderly victim

SINGAPORE: A woman described in court as "dangerous and volatile" assaulted four women, including a police officer and a 74-year-old woman, in separate unprovoked attacks.

Entertainment

‘Pulp Fiction’ actor Peter Greene died of accidental gunshot wound to his armpit

A neighbour found Greene in the actor's ground-floor apartment Dec 12 after tenants there reported hearing Christmas music playing inside the unit for several days.