JAKARTA: Separatist fighters in Indonesia’s Papua region have taken a New Zealand pilot hostage after setting a small commercial plane alight when it landed in a remote highland area on Tuesday (Feb 7), a pro-independence group said in a statement. A police spokesperson in Papua…

TOKYO: The popularity of Japan’s crisp powder snow among foreign skiers, surging back into the country, is luring more to seek the thrill of pristine backcountry slopes – sometimes with deadly impact. A rise in backcountry accidents comes as the Japanese government heavily promotes inbound…

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has lodged a report with the country’s anti-graft agency against Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN), accusing the two coalitions of “lavish” spending during the recent 15th General Election (GE15).  Puchong Bersatu chief Mohd Shukor Mustaffa said…

BANGKOK: Thailand’s prime minister is confident the country will receive more than 30 million foreign tourist arrivals this year as the economically vital tourism sector gathers steam, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday (Feb 7). Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed relevant agencies to facilitate…

However, the cards are not official documentation and are not recognised by authorities. They do not allow these refugees to legally work, study or seek medical help in government hospitals. They merely identify card owners as refugees and contain wordings appealing to the community to…

DEAD BODIES On a good day a picker can find trash worth 30,000 kyat (US$10), but more often the take-home pay is around US$3. “Before we started working there was lots of plastic, cans and bottles on the creek,” says Kyu Kyu Khine, 39, who…