A leading Malaysian reporter caught in a hotel raid allegedly accepting bribes to drop an investigation into a migrant-trafficking syndicate at Kuala Lumpur International Airport has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Malaysia has seen trafficking syndicates and corruption linked to its labour demands for migrant workers, with its main airport often in the spotlight of scandals, including last year when thousands of Bangladeshi migrants arriving on fake job offers were forced into illegal work and overstay. B. Nantha Kumar, 42, a senior reporter at prominent local online outlet Malaysiakini, was arrested on February 28 at a hotel in Shah Alam by officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on suspicion of soliciting and accepting a 20,000 ringgit (US$4,500) bribe from alleged traffickers in return for taking down
Category Archives: WORLD NEWS
Mar
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that 94 Ghanaians were deported from the United States in 2024 as part of the US government’s intensified immigration crackdown. Addressing Parliament on Thursday, March 13, 2025, Mr Ablakwa stated that no Ghanaian had been deported from the US so far this year. He referenced data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which recorded 37,660 deportations in January 2025, with no Ghanaians included. He further revealed that two Ghanaians had recently been deported to Costa Rica, with Ghana’s Washington Mission working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to facilitate their transfer back to Ghana. 150 Ghanaians await deportation from United States Providing additional details, Mr Ablakwa informed Parliament that 150 Ghanaians are currently being held in various US
Mar
United States (US) officials are in Moscow to discuss a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived on Thursday morning to try to convince Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine agreed to earlier this week in talks with the US. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov says talks were “taking place in a calm manner” – but rejected the proposal, saying it would amount to nothing more than a temporary respite for the Ukrainian military and a chance for it to regroup. The US visit comes as the Russian military claimed to have recaptured Sudzha – a key town in the Kursk region that Ukraine invaded last year in a surprise attack. President Vladimir Putin visited Kursk on Wednesday and met military commanders, who told him
Mar
A Unesco report highlights child labour, poverty, and bullying as key drivers of school dropout among boys, with millions disengaging from education. Poverty, child labour, bullying and violence are among key drivers behind boys disengaging from school, according to education experts. This, as the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (Unesco) latest global report has pointed to at least 132 million boys of primary and secondary school age having dropped out of primary and secondary learning institutions. Key findings: Globally, only 88 men were enrolled in tertiary education for every 100 women; and In 73 countries, fewer boys than girls were enrolled in upper-secondary education, while the opposite was the case in 48 countries. Unesco said the data highlighted “a global phenomenon: child labour and poverty – among other
Mar
Single-block residential buildings in four old Hong Kong districts are set to receive property management services from the middle of the year under a pilot scheme aimed at tackling long-standing problems of urban decay. Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said on Saturday that Yau Tsim Mong district was the first to be consulted by her bureau about the plan under the joint property management scheme. Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Tsuen Wan will follow later this month. “We hope that by the middle of this year, we will be able to launch this scheme,” the minister told a radio programme. “We’re going to start with implementing the joint property management scheme in these four areas this year.” The plan is part of a proposal revealed
Mar
“If he didn’t drop me off, he would still be alive.” This is what Jakua Katjiruru told The Namibian after flash floods claimed the life of his cousin, Uaavi Kavezepa, in Windhoek on Monday evening. Kavezepa (33) died after the car he was driving was swept away by flash floods at Hochland Park. His body was later recovered in the Gammams River. Katjiruru yesterday said the river’s water level was still low when Kavezepa dropped him off at home, and he assumed it will remain safe on his way back. “We went to get the car washed in Katutura and Uaavi offered to drop me off when it started raining. He would still be alive if he didn’t drop me off,” he said. However, shortly after Kavezepa drove off, the
Mar
Japan has commissioned one of the most advanced conventional submarines in the world, with the Raigei being the latest in a class of hunter-killer vessels designed to operate in the relatively shallow seas around the country. The diesel-electric Raigei – or Thunder Whale – was completed at Kawasaki Heavy Industry’s shipyards in Kobe and is the fourth vessel in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force’s (MSDF) Taigei class of submarines. Its launch on Thursday also meets Japan’s maritime defence needs with its ability to conduct stealth operations in tight bodies of water and also reflects the country’s aversion to nuclear-powered submarines, according to analysts. At 84 metres from bow to stern, a displacement of 3,000 tons and a crew of 70, the Raigei has an ultra-quiet diesel-electric propulsion system that combines
Mar
China’s growing foreign policy budget signals a proactive approach to deepening ties with the Global South and expanding its Belt and Road Initiative, at a time when the US is taking an isolationist turn under “ America first ”, according to observers. The Chinese finance ministry on Wednesday proposed that the “diplomatic endeavours” budget for 2025 be raised by 8.4 per cent to over 64.5 billion yuan (US$8.87 billion), marking a bigger jump than the 6.6 per cent last year. The hike for the military budget, meanwhile, was set at 7.2 per cent, the same as in 2024 and 2023. The proposed budget was submitted to China’s top legislature as Premier Li Qiang delivered the government’s annual work report to top lawmakers at the “ two sessions ”, the country’s
Mar
Israel is unlikely to oppose an Arab entity taking responsibility for Gaza’s government if Hamas is off the scene, said a source familiar with the matter. By REUTERS MARCH 4, 2025 12:01 Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa at the Al Tahrir palace to discuss details of the Gaza reconstruction plan, ahead of the emergency Arab summit organised by Egypt this week, in Cairo, Egypt March 3, 2025.. (photo credit: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters) Arab leaders meet in Cairo on Tuesday with Egypt to present a plan for Gaza that would sideline Hamas and create interim bodies run by Arab, Muslim and Western states in contrast to US President Donald Trump’s idea of a “Middle East Riviera”. Who will run Gaza is the big unanswered
Feb
Japanese transport operators are expanding luggage delivery services, including between train stations and airports, to address luggage congestion as the country continues to face overtourism in major cities. In January, the airport and rail operators in Nagoya ran a luggage delivery trial for tourists on certain flights, according to Japan News, the English edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. Under the trial, tourists would drop off their luggage at the Meitetsu Nagoya railway station. Staff would measure and check the luggage before they were sent to the airport in Nagoya. Tourists on direct flights to Hong Kong or those transiting via Taipei could then travel around Nagoya without bringing along their luggage and receive them upon returning to their home airports, according to Japan News. The delivery fee under the
Feb
The actress was found unconscious and unresponsive on Wednesday morning. American actress Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away at the age of 39. Trachtenberg was best known for her roles in Gossip Girl, Ice Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete and many more. According to ABC News , police sources revealed that she was found unconscious and unresponsive by her mother on Wednesday, 26 February and was pronounced dead at the scene. The police said an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. “Criminality is not suspected. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation remains ongoing,” the New York City Police Department said in a statement. Trachtenberg’s publicist released a statement confirming her passing and requesting
Feb
Sarah Rainsford Europe correspondent in Rome Catholics gathered to pray for the health of the Pope beneath the steps of St Peter’s Basilica for a third night, as his doctors said his condition showed further slight improvement. Nuns dangling rosary beads, tourists and student priests were among those who joined the gentle incantation of the rosary in the Vatican. They were led by a cardinal in a scarlet skull cap who prayed for Pope Francis to be able to resume his duties as soon as possible. The nightly gatherings began on Monday after the 88-year-old’s health took a dramatic dip at the weekend. He was fighting to breathe and needed blood transfusions. But the latest statements suggest the Pope is able to sit in his chair, is eating normally and
Feb
Singapore will inject a further S$60 million (US$45 million) over two years to grow its space technology programme amid a “revolution in the development of space”, officials have said. Wednesday’s announcement follows Singapore’s commitment in 2022 of S$150 million to research and development in space technologies, which has led to 14 space-related technology patents being filed by local entities, according to Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong. Speaking at the Global Space Technology Convention and Exhibition held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Gan said: “Singapore can be a key hub of ideas, innovation and impact for the global space economy, by drawing on our strengths across our business, industry and research ecosystems; focusing on relevant use cases of both economic and strategic value to Singapore; and strengthening
Feb
Japan ’s decision to skip a major nuclear weapon ban summit – despite the efforts of Nobel Prize-winning campaigners – has sparked condemnation from activists, who have said Tokyo is missing a critical chance to advocate for disarmament. The domestic debate over Japan’s position on nuclear weapons intensified after Nihon Hidankyo , or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organisations, won the Nobel Peace Prize in December for its 68-year campaign against nuclear weapons. The government’s decision not to attend the meeting of signatory states to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in New York from March 3 to 7 is “extremely unfortunate”, according to Hajime Matsukubo, secretary general of the Tokyo-based Citizens’ Nuclear Information Centre. Adopted in 2017, the TPNW is the first legally
Feb
Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior government officials met a group of prominent Chinese tech entrepreneurs in Beijing last week. That neither the property nor finance sector was represented sent a clear signal of the government’s priority. Attendees included Jack Ma , co-founder of Alibaba Group Holding (which owns the South China Morning Post), Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun , Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma Huateng , BYD chairman and CEO Wang Chuanfu and Huawei Technologies founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei . Other business leaders included CATL chairman Robin Zeng Yuqun and DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng , as well as Wang Xingxing , founder of robotics company Unitree, and Liu Yonghao , chairman of animal feed producer New Hope. This meeting came at a significant time in