ASEAN IN FOCUS

Malaysian PM: Hong Kong leader should quit

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s prime minister said Friday Hong Kong’s embattled leader should resign over the city’s increasingly violent pro-democracy protests and warned China would take “harsh action” to end the demonstrations. Hong Kong has been rocked by unprecedented protests for nearly four months, with millions taking to the streets angered by what they see as Beijing’s authoritarian rule of the semi-autonomous city. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad — who at 94 is […]

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President Duterte, Russian President Putin vow stronger bilateral relations, increased cooperation during bilateral meeting

(Eagle News) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, during the Philippine leader’s second visit to Russia. The two leaders met at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on October 3, 2019, Thursday where they vowed to strengthen the Philippines and Russia’s bilateral relations. Russian President Putin welcomed President Duterte and thanked him for coming to Russia and participating in the Valdai Discussion Club which centered “around the development […]

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Malaysia threatens ride-hailing firm Grab with $21 million fine

  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Malaysia’s competition watchdog on Thursday threatened to hit Grab with a $21 million fine for practices that allegedly reduce competition, the latest problem for the ride-hailing giant. Grab is the biggest ride-hailing firm in Southeast Asia, and has strengthened its hold on the market since buying US rival Uber’s operations in the region last year. But the Singapore-headquartered firm has come under scrutiny from regulators in several countries due […]

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Indonesia quake death toll rises to 30: govt

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands rose to 30 on Sunday, including several toddlers, the disaster agency said. On Thursday, terrified residents ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them when the 6.5-magnitude tremor struck, sparking landslides that buried at least one of the victims. Among the confirmed dead were three young children, with many people killed by falling debris in […]

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Indonesia marks one year since deadly quake-tsunami disaster

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia on Saturday marks one year since a devastating quake-tsunami disaster that pounded the city of Palu, killing more than 4,000 people. The 7.5 magnitude quake and subsequent deluge razed swathes of the coastal city on Sulawesi island last September. Some 4,300 people were listed as dead or missing while nearly 60,000 people are still living in makeshift accommodation after their homes were destroyed, according to the Red Cross. The […]

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Indonesia quake death toll rises to 23: official

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands has risen to 23, the disaster agency said Friday, as more than 15,000 people were evacuated to shelters. Terrified residents ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them with the 6.5-magnitude tremor sparking landslides that buried at least one victim on Thursday. Among the confirmed dead was an infant, with many killed by falling debris in […]

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Updated: At least 20 killed after strong quake rocks Indonesia

  by Sultan Ambon Agence France Presse AMBON CITY, Indonesia (AFP) — At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured Thursday in a strong earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands, triggering landslides that buried at least one of the victims, the disaster agency said. Terrified residents ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them when the 6.5-magnitude quake hit in the morning. “At least 100 people were injured and more than […]

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Strong 6.5 magnitude quake strikes eastern Indonesia: USGS

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia Thursday, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck about 37 kilometres (23 miles) offshore northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at 8:46 am local time, at a depth of 29 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage in the area, which has been […]

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Four bodies recovered from crashed Indonesia cargo plane

TIMIKA, Indonesia (AFP) — The bodies of four passengers on an Indonesian cargo plane that went missing in the jungles of Papua a week ago have been recovered, the search and rescue agency said Wednesday. The DHC-6 Twin Otter took off from the city of Timika for a short flight to Ilaga, a mountainous region in the remote eastern province of Papua. Local authorities declared the plane — carrying three crew, a police officer and […]

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Indonesia blames 737 MAX design for Lion Air crash: report

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Indonesian authorities have cited failures in the Boeing 737 MAX design and oversight as contributing to the 2018 Lion Air plane crash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. The report into the crash, which will be formally released in early November, also blames pilot error and maintenance issues for the crash that killed 189 people shortly after the flight departed from Jakarta last October, the newspaper said. The […]

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Malaysia, Indonesia shut thousands of schools over forest fires haze

  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Thousands of schools were shuttered across Malaysia and Indonesia Thursday, affecting at least 1.7 million pupils, officials said, as toxic haze from rampant forest fires sent air quality plummeting. Nearly 2,500 schools were ordered to shut their doors in Malaysia — including nearly 300 in the smog-hit capital Kuala Lumpur — over soaring health concerns sparked by toxic haze from out-of-control blazes in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Borneo islands. Indonesia […]

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Indonesia returning hundreds of containers of waste to West

  JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesia is sending back hundreds of containers of contaminated waste to the West after shipments supposedly containing plastic meant for recycling were found to hide hazardous substances, customs officials said. Among more than 2,000 containers checked by authorities at four ports from July to mid-September, nearly 550 contained hazardous material or non-plastic waste. More than 300 containers have already been repatriated, officials said. “Imported waste mixed with trash or hazardous […]

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