Japan’s defence minister on Thursday expressed concern about China’s “alarming” activities at sea, its border with India and in Hong Kong.“Obviously, China is trying to change the status quo unilaterally in the East China Sea, the South China Sea, at the Indian border and in Hong Kong. It is easy to make connections about those issues,” Taro Kono said at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo.China names undersea features amid rising territorial tension with Japan“Our fighter jets…
Coronavirus could hand Singapore Airlines a bigger share of India’s aviation market
Coronavirus is unexpectedly providing an opportunity for Singapore Airlines to grab a share of the lucrative Indian market held by rivals Emirates and Etihad Airways through a local affiliate.Vistara, which Singapore Airlines jointly owns with Indian conglomerate Tata Group, is about to get its second Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet, and expects demand for long-haul international travel from India to rise when travel restrictions lift, Chief Commercial Officer Vinod Kannan said in an interview. While…
In India, China shipments held up as New Delhi takes steps to block Chinese goods
Customs officials at Chennai, one of India’s biggest ports, have held shipments originating from China for extra checks, according to sources, amid a backlash over a border clash in which 20 Indian soldiers died.The increased scrutiny on shipments from China at Chennai Port, which handles various cargo including cars, components, fertilisers and petroleum products, could disrupt supply chains.Driving India into US arms is a risk China is willing to takeWhile there is no official order from the…
Thailand’s pro-democracy statues are disappearing – and it’s not protesters tearing them down
As political activists from several groups staged peaceful protests around Thailand on Wednesday to mark the 88th anniversary of the revolution which ended the absolute monarchy in the country, it emerged that certain historical statues have been disappearing.But they are not effigies of colonialists or slave owners torn down by protesters. Instead, Thailand’s vanishing monuments celebrated leaders of the 1932 revolt, who were once officially honoured as national heroes and symbols of democracy…
Pink Dot: Singapore LGBT rally to go ahead online despite huge petition against it, organisers say
The organisers of Singapore’s annual gay pride rally vowed on Tuesday to push ahead with an online event after nearly 30,000 people signed a petition demanding restrictions and called the content “immoral”.The Pink Dot rally has been held since 2009 under stringent public assembly laws at a park in Singapore, where gay sex between men can be jailed for up to two years under a law that is rarely enforced.In Singapore, gay sex is still illegal as judge throws out legal challengesLike many other…
Australia’s ‘Red Skins’ chews, ‘Chicos’ jellies bite the dust amid global backlash over racist branding
Australian confectionery products “Red Skins” and “Chicos” are to be renamed because of unspecified “overtones”, manufacturer Nestle said on Tuesday amid a global backlash over racist branding.The popular sweets, which have been made by Allen’s in Australia for decades, will drop the names swiftly although new titles have yet to be finalised, Nestle Australia said in a short statement.Professor on leave after telling Asian-American student to ‘Anglicise’ nameThe move is part of the corporate…
Malaysia police hunt Singapore man for smuggling drugs by drone into city state
Police in the Malaysian state of Johor are looking for a Singaporean man who allegedly smuggled drugs into the city state using a drone.Johor police chief Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said 40-year-old Mohamad Azli Ahmad Said, alias “Boy Setan”, is also wanted in Singapore for drug offences.“This is the first time that we have ever come across drug smugglers using drones to smuggle drugs between two locations,” he said on Monday, adding that the suspect is believed to be in Johor.“Usually, if a drone…
Cambodia’s Hun Sen tells opposition to ‘wait for the next life’, says ruling party will dominate politics for up to 100 years
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday his ruling party would be a dominant force in politics for as long as a century, telling the opposition it should wait until the next life if it wants to take power.Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), which has been in power since 1979, holds every seat in the 125-member legislature after the main opposition was dissolved ahead of a 2018 general election, accused of plotting to overthrow the government.From Khmer Rouge to Khmer Riche: is Hun…
Southeast Asia’s Covid-19 lockdowns may be driving another virus wave: dengue fever
Getting people to hunker down at home has helped stem the coronavirus pandemic, but in parts of Southeast Asia, it’s spurred another potentially deadly disease: dengue.The mosquito-borne viral illness, sometimes known as break-bone fever because of the joint pain it inflicts, has skyrocketed in the tropical region just as the usual dengue-spreading season begins. Singapore reported an average of 165 cases a day in the week through June 13, a record which authorities said may herald the largest…
In land-scarce Singapore, US$45 million buys a bungalow – but the rare artefacts cost extra
Perched on platforms near the swimming pool at the sprawling residence, two 15-tonne stone lions cut imposing figures. The main house’s exterior walls are fitted with display panels showcasing centuries-old marble relics from China. A custom-designed tea room inside features vintage pots and tea bricks that cost US$7,000 a piece.Even for Singapore, the setting for the Crazy Rich Asians Hollywood hit, this house sets a new standard. It’s selling for S$63 million (US$45 million), and that doesn’t…