Latest

Nation

Integrated approach needed to fight raw water contamination

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Throughout 2019, the Klang Valley experienced disruptions in water supply at least nine times, a good number of which were due to contamination of the raw water supply.

World

Philippines halts visas on arrival for Chinese on virus fears

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines stopped issuing visas on arrival to Chinese nationals on Tuesday, in a bid to keep the southeast Asian nation free of a new virus that has killed 106 and infected more than 4,500 since emerging in China in December.

Nintendo

Super Nintendo World set for Orlando, Hollywood, Singapore

After a mid-2020 opening at Universal Studios' Osaka theme park, a Mario-themed attraction will open in the company's Orlando location in 2023.

Nation

Coronavirus: Health Ministry releases list of 26 referral hospitals for suspected, confirmed cases

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Health Ministry released on Tuesday (Jan 28) a list of 26 hospitals nationwide that will serve as referral hospitals in handling cases of patients under investigation (PUI) and those confirmed with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

China

Chinese study analyses familial Alzheimer's genetic features

BEIJING (Xinhua): Chinese researchers reported that they have analysed genetic features of familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD) in China, to detect the distribution of a gene mutation among Chinese FAD patients.

Business

Indonesia readies plan to save scandal-hit insurer from collapse

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities are weighing the induction of a strategic investor into a unit of the nation’s oldest insurer that’s on the brink of collapse after alleged fund mismanagement left a $2 billion hole in its books.

Forex

Ringgit open slightly lower against US dollar on coronavirus concern

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit retreated slightly from last week's gain to open moderately lower today, as concerns over the spread of deadly coronavirus kept investors out from the riskier assets including ringgit, dealers said.

Cryptocurrency

Singapore helps global cryptocurrency firms expand local operations

SINGAPORE: Singapore is introducing new payments legislation that offers global cryptocurrency firms a chance to expand their operations in the country by applying for operating licenses for the first time.

Tennis

Australian Open order of play on Wednesday

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Order of play on the main showcourt on the 10th day of the Australian Open on Wednesday (play begins at 0000 GMT, prefix number denotes seeding):

Thailand

Thailand among world’s top 10 for mobile payments by Chinese tourists

BANGKOK (The Nation/ANN): Thailand ranked among the global top 10 for mobile payments by Chinese tourists, fuelled by the country’s “maturity” in mobile payment solutions, a joint report by Nielsen and Alipay said.

China

Coronavirus: Hubei suspends passport applications

BEIJING (Bernama): The exit and entry department in central China's Hubei province has suspended services for the application of ordinary passports and exit-entry permits and endorsements for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to better control the spread of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

Indonesia

E-cigarettes, vaping haram, says Indonesian Muslim organisation

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/ANN): Muhammadiyah has declared electronic cigarettes and vaping as haram in a fatwa issued recently by the second biggest Muslim organisation in the country.

World

Trump discusses Syria, Libya with Turkey's Erdogan - White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump discussed developments in Syria and Libya in a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday, a White House spokesman said on Twitter.

Vietnam

Vietnamese students create 'magic spoon' for those with Parkinson's

HANOI (Vietnam News/ANN): Drawing on their passion for technology and programming, two students from Vietnam National University have succeeded in creating a ‘Magic Spoon’ which can help people with tremors or Parkinson’s disease.

Google

Intel and Softbank beware. Open source is coming to the chip business

After revolutionising software, the open-source movement is threatening to do same to the chip industry.

Banking

UK fund Brunel gets tough on firms and asset managers

LONDON: Companies and asset managers must show progress towards climate goals by 2022, Brunel Pension Partnership, one of Britain’s biggest pension fund managers, said yesterday, or the fund would withdraw its investment.

Auto

Musk takes on critics

NEW YORK: Elon Musk said concern that a Tesla assembly site in a rural area near Berlin would cause water shortages is exaggerated, pushing back against critics of the plant.

Corporate News

JPMorgan says short US 30-year bond

TOKYO: JPMorgan Chase & Co strategists are betting that the surge in demand for Treasuries, thanks to fears about the deadly coronavirus, will prove short-lived, sticking with a call to sell longer-dated bonds.

Banking

Regulator probes spying scandal

FRANKFURT: The Credit Suisse spying debacle risks tipping the bank into a crisis that could engulf its top executives.

Corporate News

Survey: US labour market may have peaked

WASHINGTON: There is an even balance in the share of US businesses reporting decreases and increases in employment for the first time in a decade, a survey showed, the latest suggestion that the labour market has likely peaked and job growth could slow this year.