KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia’s former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government. The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds. Prosecutors sought a 10 million ringgit ($2.4 million) bail […]
ASEAN IN FOCUS
Indonesian soldiers ordered to fire on looters in disaster zone
PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian soldiers have been ordered to fire on people caught looting on the quake and tsunami-struck island of Sulawesi, a colonel said Wednesday, after desperate survivors raided shops for food and water. Police have already arrested dozens of people for looting in the disaster zone around the seaside city of Palu, which has been reduced to rubble. Local military colonel Ida Dewa Agung Hadisaputra told AFP soldiers had now been given […]
UN warns Indonesia quake needs ‘vast’ as toll nears 1,400
by Harry PEARL Agence France Presse PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — Nearly 1,400 people are now known to have died in the quake-tsunami that smashed into Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, with UN officials warning needs are “vast” for both desperate survivors and rescue teams still searching for victims. Almost 200,000 people want urgent help, the UN’s humanitarian office said, among them tens of thousands of children, with an estimated 66,000 homes destroyed or damaged by the 7.5-magnitude […]
Reunited Indonesian couple a rare ray of hope in quake zone
by Harry PEARL Agence France Presse PALU, Indonesia (AFP) — It was two agonizing days of searches through makeshift morgues and hospitals before Azwan found his wife Dewi alive and well after she was swept away in the tsunami that crashed into the Indonesian city of Palu. Recounting the story beside her at a small roadside stall in the quake-hit city, the 38-year-old civil servant struggled to keep his emotions in check, tears welling up […]
UPDATED: Twin quakes hit off Indonesian island of Sumba: USGS
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Two quakes struck in quick succession off the southern coast of Indonesia’s Sumba island on Tuesday morning, the United States Geological Survey said. A shallow and moderately strong 5.9 quake struck at 2359 GMT, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) off Sumba, an island of some 750,000 people. It was followed up some 15 minutes later by a stronger 6.0 magnitude quake in the same area at a depth of 30 kilometers. Sumba […]
US warship sails near South China Sea area claimed by Beijing: Pentagon
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — An American warship has sailed through waters off the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, in the latest implicit challenge to Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims in the region, the Pentagon said Sunday. “Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur conducted a freedom of navigation operation,” an official told AFP. “Decatur sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands.” The official said all US military […]
Indonesia calls for international help to deal with quake-tsunami
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — The Indonesian government on Monday called for international help to deal with the aftermath of a devastating series on earthquakes and a tsunami in the island region of Sulawesi that killed at least 832 people. President Joko Widodo ” authorized us to accept international help for urgent disaster-response,” the government’s head of investment Tom Lembong said, as dozens of aid agencies and NGOs lined up to provide live-saving assistance and the […]
Indonesians turn to Facebook in desperate hunt for loved ones
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesians desperate to trace loved ones missing in the earthquake and tsunami that struck the island of Sulawesi are turning to social media sites like Facebook to aid their search. With the scale of the disaster still unclear, telecommunications patchy and some areas still out of reach, families are posting photos, descriptions of lost family members and contact numbers in the hope of learning more. “Have you seen any of my […]
5.0 magnitude earthquake rocks Indonesia’s Aceh
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — A 5.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia’s western Aceh province early Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The shallow quake struck shortly before 1 AM local time with its epicenter 20 kilometers northwest of the city of Langsa. No tsunami warning has been issued. Indonesia, one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth, straddles the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates […]
Malaysia ex-PM’s wife faces marathon grilling in graft probe
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — The luxury-loving wife of Malaysia’s former prime minister Wednesday faced a marathon questioning session by investigators probing the multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped topple her husband’s government. Rosmah Mansor, widely reviled in Malaysia due to her profligate spending and imperious manner, arrived at the anti-corruption agency before 10:00 am (0200 GMT) and had still not emerged nine hours later. Local media have reported that officials are wrapping up their probe […]
Hundreds pay tribute to Vietnam president at state funeral
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Hundreds of black-clad mourners, weeping or lighting incense and laying wreaths, gathered early Wednesday for a somber final tribute at a state funeral for Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang who died last week after a prolonged illness. Long lines of officials, family, police and monks in golden robes streamed through the National Funeral House in downtown Hanoi where Quang’s flag-draped coffin lay beneath a large portrait of the leader who passed […]
Vietnam holds tourism roadshow in the Philippines
By Caesar Vallejos, Eagle News Service Showcasing Vietnam’s timeless charm and tourism products that create endless experiences for visitors, the Vietnam Tourism Roadshow introduced new destinations that are expected to deliver the best travelling experiences. The roadshow was held at the AG New World Manila Bay Hotel last September 24, 2018. Once known as a war-torn country, Vietnam which had 13 million international visitors last year, will be hosting the 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum […]
