Man threatens to torch himself after virus cancels birthday
Beijing (AFP) - A man in southwest China doused himself with petrol and tied firecrackers around his waist because authorities cancelled his birthday banquet as a precaution against spreading the coronavirus.The Chongqing resident, a 59-year-old surnamed Wang, had...
Artist: I did not consent to allow NAG to remove artwork
Updated with Anwar Ibrahim's comment on the matterVisual artist Ahmad Fuad Osman has denied giving consent for the National Art Gallery (NAG) to alter an ongoing exhibition of his work.This comes after the government artspace removed four pieces from his solo show...
Rohingya boat capsize – many were brides being smuggled in
Many onboard a crowded boat that sank off the coast of Bangladesh yesterday, which killed 15 women and children, were human trafficking victims being smuggled into Malaysia to become brides, international news agencies reported.Seventy of the estimated 130 refugees on...
The brothels of Daulatdia: Sex workers to get ‘honourable’ funeral
Daulatdia (Bangladesh) (AFP) - Often treated as less than human in life, there has been little dignity in death for the sex workers of one of the world's biggest brothels: their bodies frequently tossed into unmarked graves or dumped in the river.Until now.On...
Reckless driving causes toddler to be flung out of vehicle
A two-year-old boy miraculously survived after he was flung out of a vehicle he was travelling in with his family in a road crash involving another vehicle on the southbound North-South Expressway near Senawang, on Monday.Negeri Sembilan Traffic Investigation and...
CHINA VOICES | The drivers Wuhan is counting on
As most people stay inside, delivery drivers are on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus in Wuhan. This week, TechNode’s translation column brings you a gripping article profiling the volunteers of Wuhan, translated in full by courtesy of GQ Reports. The...
Dr. Buensalido: ‘Yes, the Philippines is ready to tackle coronavirus’
MANILA, Philippines — The whole world is at war and the dreaded enemy is called 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus). Even as global leaders in innovative vaccines are in a frantic race to develop a vaccine against nCoV, the death toll continues to rise and confirmed cases...
Half-a-million insect species face extinction: scientists
Paris (AFP) - Half of the one million animal and plant species on Earth facing extinction are insects, and their disappearance could be catastrophic for humankind, scientists have said in a "warning to humanity"."The current insect extinction crisis is deeply...
Bong Joon-ho: South Korea’s boundary-pushing satirist
Seoul (AFP) - South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho has been on quite a wild ride this awards season. That trip reached its climax Sunday when he made history with "Parasite," the first non-English-language film ever to win a best picture Oscar. The film, a vicious...
Living with the Hong Kong protests: the bruises will heal, but will the memories?
Central has a lot of pigeons, or as I call them, flying rats. These filthy creatures not only drop their faeces everywhere on the street, but also walk around on Jubilee and Douglas looking like they own the place.I usually curse if one takes off next to me, but that...
Small businesses suffer as China virus shuts communities
Beijing (AFP) - Wang Li's guesthouse sits a stone's throw from the Great Wall, an idyllic setting for a weekend getaway. But in these uncertain times of the new coronavirus, Wang and her family are the only occupants.The 35-year-old woman now spends her days...
He lost leg in Afghanistan and attempted suicide twice, then became Miami Marathon champ
MIAMI — Alfredo De Los Santos was at his lowest point when Achilles International suggested he attempt a marathon. He had just lost his right leg in Afghanistan about eight months earlier. He tried to commit suicide twice since being hospitalized at Walter Reed...