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Only Cambodia has so far officially confirmed it intended to attend the talks. Myanmar's junta spokesman could not be reached for comment on Sunday. Thailand's foreign ministry was tight-lipped about exactly who was attending the two-day gathering in the resort town of Pattaya, for which outgoing Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent invitation letters just four days before its start. Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn was to attend the meeting, his government said in a statement on Friday. Vietnam's government said its foreign minister would not attend "due to a prior engagement".

Persons: Nobel, Aung, Myanmar's, Swe, Don Pramudwinai, Don, Prak Sokhonn, Vivian Balakrishnan, Nantiwat Samart, Suu Kyi's, Panu, Phuong Nguyen, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot, Kay Johnson, William Mallard Organizations: Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, Reuters, Cambodian, Nation TV, National Unity Government, Thai, Ananda, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Cambodia, Suu, Thailand, Pattaya, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thai, ASEAN, Malaysia, Philippines, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Shoon

While many of the passengers Berry Henson has taxied during some 3,000 rides knew he played golf, few were aware of just how good he is. For Henson, who has played just three events on the PGA Tour since turning pro in 2003, the US Open will mark a dream first career major appearance. New emotions, new feelings, but I feel like I’m getting through it pretty good.”Henson will make his major debut at the US Open. “A lot of my Uber passengers, when they find out what I do, end up following me on social media – they can’t believe it at first. “I think she’s gonna pass on a lot of birdies this week,” Henson said.

Persons: Berry Henson, Henson, ” Henson, CNN’s Dan Moriarty, “, I’ve, Kai Schwoerer, Uber, Ke Huy Quan, Richard “, ” Wang, Nick Kyrgios, “ I’ve, ”, “ It’s, Paul Lakatos, Phil Mickelson, ‘, it’s Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Country Club, Brook Country Club, PGA, ” Pepsi, European, Qualifying, University of San Diego, Getty, Twitter Locations: Summit , New Jersey, Canada, Oaks, Palm Springs, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, New Jersey

☆ Jocelyn Chia: Comedian in New York jokes about Malaysia, sparks backlash diplomatic backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —A comedian in New York who joked about the safety of Malaysian planes in an apparent reference to the disappearance of flight MH370 has sparked a heated backlash in Malaysia and Singapore. Controversy over the joke by lawyer-turned comedian Jocelyn Chia at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar erupted soon after a short clip of her stand-up performance was posted online earlier this week. Chia’s bit had centered on the uneasy past between Singapore and Malaysia, which were once part of the same country. An air safety expert did not exclude it could be a part of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. “(Chia) does not in any way reflect our views,” he added.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, MH370, Jocelyn Chia, Andre de la, Yannick Pitonyaninick Piton, –, Muhamad Akmal Saleh, ”, Chia, Gopala Menon, Menon, “, Vivian Balakrishnan, Chia “, Dr Zambry Abd Kadir Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Malaysian, Malaysia Airlines, ” Police, Getty, United Malays National Organization, Singapore’s, Bernama, CNN, Facebook Locations: Hong Kong, New York, Malaysia, Singapore, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, La, AFP

☆ Indonesia, Malaysia aim to fight 'discrimination' against palm oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The EU passed a law this year banning imports of commodities linked to deforestation, a move that is expected to hurt palm oil. Indonesia and Malaysia are the world's top two producers and exporters of palm oil, a commodity used in everything from lipstick to pizza. In a joint statement, the two leaders vowed to cooperate closely to address the EU's "highly detrimental discriminatory measures against palm oil". Indonesia is the biggest source of foreign labour for Malaysia, with many Indonesians working in palm oil plantations. Reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur, Ananda Teresia in Jakarta; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Anwar Ibrahim, Jokowi, Rozanna, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: European Union, EU, Malaysian, Ananda, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, EU, Brussels, United States, Ananda Teresia, Jakarta

☆ Malaysia wins appeal against partial award in $15 bln claim by sultan's heirs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The win for Malaysia implies the final award will be annulled and the descendants' efforts to seize Malaysian assets will end, the government said. The Filipino heirs of the last Sultan of Sulu won a $14.9-billion award in a French arbitration court last year in a long-running dispute over the deal, after a partial award was first issued in May 2020. The Paris Court of Appeal found the case arbitrator had wrongly upheld his jurisdiction, Malaysia said on Tuesday. The heirs say they were not involved in the incursion and sought arbitration over the suspension of payments. In recent months, Malaysia has stepped up efforts to protect itself from the arbitration award, including filing police complaints against one of the claimants' lawyers.

Persons: Azalina Othman Said, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Malaysian, Malaysia, Appeal, United, Independent Malaysia, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sulu, France, United Nations, Philippines, Borneo

☆ Russia, Ukraine face off at World Court over MH17 airliner downing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Stephanie Van Den Berg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

THE HAGUE, June 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia face off at the top United Nations court on Tuesday over Moscow's alleged backing of pro-Russian separatists blamed for the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in 2014. It will be the first time lawyers for Ukraine and Russia meet at the ICJ, also know as the World Court, since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukraine will first present its case and Russia will then have an opportunity to respond. It also found that Russia had "overall control" over forces in the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic in eastern Ukraine since mid-May 2014. A finding by the World Court that Russia equipped and funded rebels in eastern Ukraine responsible for the MH17 disaster would be a defeat for Moscow, which repeatedly denied sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Persons: Moscow's, MH17, Vladimir Putin, Stephanie van den Berg, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: HAGUE, United Nations, Malaysian Airlines Flight, International Court, Russian, ICJ, Russian Embassy, Donetsk People's, Court, Moscow, International Criminal Court, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Russian, Ukrainian, The Hague, Donetsk People's Republic, Kyiv

☆ Ex-aide to 1MDB fugitive Jho Low dies weeks after questioning
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 (Reuters) - A former aide to Malaysian fugitive Jho Low - wanted for his central role in the multi-billion dollar 1MDB corruption scandal - has died weeks after being questioned by Malaysian authorities on Low's whereabouts, his lawyers said on Wednesday. He was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on arrival and had his house searched, media reported. Malaysian authorities have previously said Low was believed to be in China, though Beijing has denied that. Low has been charged in Malaysia and the United States for allegedly masterminding the theft of $4.5 billion from now-defunct fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who co-founded 1MDB, was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year for graft linked to the scandal.

Persons: Jho, Kee Kok Thiam, Valen, Kee, Al Jazeera, Al, Low, Najib Razak, Hasnoor Hussain, Rozanna Latiff, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Malaysian, Partners, Malaysian Anti, Corruption, 1Malaysia Development, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysian, U.S, Malaysia, Macau, 1MDB, China, Al Jazeera, Beijing, United States

☆ Malaysia detains Chinese ship linked to suspected illegal salvage of British WW2 wrecks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Reuters) - Malaysia's maritime authorities on Monday said cannon shells believed to be from World War Two have been found on a China-registered bulk carrier ship detained at the weekend for anchoring in its waters without permission. Following reports of the illegal salvage activity, Britain's National Museum of the Royal Navy last week said it was "distressed and concerned at the apparent vandalism for personal profit" of the two wrecks. Authorities found scrap metal and cannon shells on the ship upon further checks. The shells could be linked to a separate seizure by police at a Johor jetty last week of multiple unexploded World War Two-era artillery. Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Petronas says Malaysian anti-graft probe found no wrongdoing by the firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Reuters) - Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas (PETR.UL) said on Saturday an anti-corruption probe into the firm's dealings involving a $90 million project had not found any wrongdoing by the company. Petronas said the investigation was opened in relation to its award of a contract to a Malaysian subsidiary of an international upstream company in 2021. "Petronas had given full cooperation to MACC in the investigation that had not found any wrongdoing by Petronas, its employees, and directors," the company said in a statement to Reuters. The MACC said it had found "several weaknesses in practices, systems and work procedures" in its probe, and proposed improvements to Petronas' standard operating procedures as preventive measures. Petronas said it continues to improve and strengthen its standard operating procedures as part of an effort to prevent and fight all forms of corruption and misconduct.

☆ Christians caught with a Bible in North Korea have faced death and had their families, including children, thrown in prison for life, a new report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

North Korea offers freedom of religion to its citizens on paper but not in practice. A recently released Department of State report notes that while North Korea constitutionally allows for religious freedom, there is no such thing in practice. One NGO, Open Doors USA, has reported that for Christians in North Korea, life is a "constant cauldron of pressure" and "capture or death is only a mistake away." The North Korea flag flutters next to barbed wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. That report found that North Korea "denied the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion" and engaged in "crimes against humanity."

☆ ‘Uncle Roger’ jokes about China and censors don’t see the funny side
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

By Saturday his account on China’s highly censored Weibo platform had been barred from creating new posts. ‘Don’t make him disappear’Ng, 32, shot to fame three years ago with a video of Uncle Roger – an outspoken middle-aged man who speaks with a thick Malay accent – making fun of BBC Food presenter Hersha Patel’s way of cooking Chinese-style egg-fried rice. The sketch Ng posted on Twitter last week was filmed at his recent stand-up tour, which broached more political subjects. In one clip, after learning that an audience member is from China’s southern Guangzhou province, Uncle Roger says China is a “good country.”“We have to say that now, correct? “Uncle Roger good comrades,” he quipped.

☆ How a deadly bat virus found new ways to infect people
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +16 min

Scientists found bats with Nipah virus roosting near Sabith’s home. A search of the neighborhood led to a colony, near their house, of flying foxes, a common fruit bat. NETTING NIPAH: Researchers in Bangladesh use nets to catch bats and collect samples to find the Nipah virus in the wild. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainWhether Sabith ate contaminated fruit or somehow came into direct contact with a bat, the virus entered his cells. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir HossainA year later, Chua’s team found the same strain of Nipah virus in flying foxes.

☆ Ukraine and Russia face off in June at World Court over flight MH17
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

THE HAGUE, May 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine and Russia will face off before the United Nations' top court on June 6, when judges will hear Ukraine's claim that Moscow violated a U.N. treaty by supporting pro-Russian separatists who were identified by a Dutch court as being responsible for the 2014 downing of flight MH17. The Dutch ruling also found that Russia had "overall control" over the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic in Eastern Ukraine from mid-May 2014. The International Court of Justice, as the World Court is formally known, has set four days of hearings on June 6, 8, 12 and 14 to hear both sides in the case. This case, filed in 2017, is one of two Ukraine brought against Russia at the court. The other case, filed just after the 2022 Russian invasion, centers on Moscow's claim they invaded Ukraine to prevent genocide.

☆ Fact Check-Underwater photograph of plane shows a diving site, not MH370 wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A photograph of an aircraft sunk in the Red Sea, off the coast of Jordan, to create an artificial diving site has been mislabeled by users as showing the submerged remains of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which mysteriously disappeared in 2014. However, the photo is a screenshot from a video posted by scuba diving company Deep Blue Dive Center in Aqaba, Jordan (here) showing a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft with the caption: "Tristar Airplane Wreck Red Sea, Aqaba JO”. The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA), which owns the aircraft, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Malaysian Airlines flight en route to Beijing went missing over the Indian Ocean after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. The photograph shows an airplane hull in the Red Sea used as a diving spot, not the wreckage of the lost flight MH370 aircraft.

☆ Singapore firms scramble to soften blow of soaring rent costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Chen Lin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But with private housing rents in Singapore maintaining the scorching pace of gains in 2023, those steps are likely falling short, forcing expatriate workers to even consider leaving the city for good. An exodus of foreign talent due to unaffordable housing costs would be a setback to Singapore in fulfilling its ambitions of becoming a technological and innovations hub. EXPAT WOESRecruitment companies said most expats in Singapore do not get housing allowances as companies are controlling their costs amid an uncertain global economy. That is cold comfort for Briton Natalie, who has been living in Singapore for 15 years and is facing a S$3,200 increment in monthly rent. ($1 = 1.3274 Singapore dollars)Reporting by Chen Lin in Singapore; Editing by Xinghui Kok and Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Malaysia has now decided to allow a second entity after DNB's coverage reaches 80% of populated areas, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a statement. The government's announcement confirmed a report by Reuters last month on a plan to introduce a second 5G network from January 2024. A recommendation by major carriers for a second 5G provider was rejected by the previous government in March last year. It has said a single network would reduce costs, improve efficiency and accelerate the building of infrastructure. It was not clear how the proposal for a second 5G network would affect DNB's existing agreements with its development partner, Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson (ERICb.ST), and other mobile operators.

☆ EU, US warn Malaysia of security risk in Huawei's bid for 5G role - FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 2 (Reuters) - The European Union and U.S. have warned Malaysia over risks to national security and foreign investment as it finalises a review of its 5G rollout that could allow China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd to bid for a role in its telecoms infrastructure, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Huawei had long been seen as the frontrunner for the contract, with the government having previously dismissed security concerns raised by the United States. "Allowing untrusted suppliers in any part of the network also subjects Malaysia’s infrastructure to national security risks." Huawei, the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the EU delegation to Malaysia and the Malaysian Ministry of Communications and Digital did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. ($1 = 4.4570 ringgit)Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; editing by Christian SchmollingerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ China weighs giving single women IVF access to stem population decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Crucially, Chen could access in-vitro fertility (IVF) treatment legally in a private clinic. We have liberalized the policies here and I know a lot of single women are doing IVF." watch nowLiberalizing IVF nationwide could unleash more demand for fertility treatment in what is already the world's biggest market, straining limited fertility services. The NHC's Sichuan branch did not address questions from Reuters about whether it would offer IVF treatment to all women in public hospitals. Shanghai and the southern Guangdong province have also permitted unmarried women to register their children but IVF services for single women remain banned.

☆ Russia’s war on Ukraine redrew the map of the sky – but not for Chinese airlines
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He told the newspaper that airlines flying over Russia were indirectly helping the Kremlin’s war effort. Safety implicationsVirgin's Richard Branson has called for a ban on Chinese airlines flying to Europe via Russian airspace. CNN has reached out to the three main state-owned Chinese airlines – Air China, China Eastern and China Southern – for comments. For now, Chinese airlines have yet to return to full pre-pandemic capacities. But as Chinese airlines gradually return to normal and the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, European airlines could potentially face more fierce challenges on routes between Europe and East or Southeast Asia, creating some interesting choices for passengers.

☆ Touching the sky: A rare solar eclipse and a new hotel in the clouds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Courtesy Amelia Earhart Hangar MuseumAmelia Earhart wasn’t just the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic. Camelot Theme Park (England): Set in the leafy Lancashire countryside, the Magic Kingdom of Camelot resurrected tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Scott Audette/AP Pripyat Amusement Park (Ukraine): This theme park was orphaned in 1986 following the Chernobyl meltdown just five kilometers (three miles) away. Considered the first theme park in Southeast Asia, it featured an artificial lake, huge swimming pool with giant water slides and a Prehistoric Animal Kingdom. Anne Jones/Alamy Stock Photo 10 fascinating theme parks that have closed forever Prev NextThat’s the question posed by these no-longer-in-operation theme parks around the world.

[1/5] Muslims perform a mass prayer at a mosque during Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 22, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainJAKARTA, April 22 (Reuters) - Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia gathered in large groups to usher in the Eid al-Fitr festival on Saturday, relieved to be able to celebrate freely after the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions. "I'm very happy that we're free (of COVID curbs) now," said Laila, 35, who goes by one name like many Indonesians. In neighbouring Muslim-majority Malaysia, devotees also celebrated with families. Authorities in both countries have, however, urged the public to remain cautious amid reports of rising COVID cases.

"These workers are at high risk of forced labour and severe destitution," said independent labour activist Andy Hall, whose team has been in contact with the migrant workers. The International Labour Organisation ranks deception, along with debt bondage stemming from the large recruitment fee, and passport seizure among its indicators of 'forced labour'. Two of Sivakumar's aides were arrested by anti-graft authorities this month over an investigation into recruitment of foreign workers. Malaysia has faced accusations of forced labour in manufacturing and palm oil production over the years, including some by the United States, which banned imports from several of its firms for such practices. A Bangladeshi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters there were a "few hundred" of its citizens stuck in Malaysia without jobs.

☆ Malaysia slams 'unjust' EU deforestation law for blocking palm oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Thursday said it was disappointed over a European Union law banning imports of commodities linked to deforestation, fearing a hit to its exports of palm oil to the bloc. The law will apply to soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber, charcoal, and derived products including leather, chocolate and furniture. Malaysia said the law was a "deliberate effort" to increase costs and barriers for its palm oil sector -- a key source of export revenue for the Southeast Asian country. Smallholders account for 26%, or around 1.5 million hectares of oil palm planted area in Malaysia. Globally, more than seven million smallholders cultivate palm oil for a living and rely on the commodity to escape poverty.

☆ 10 fascinating theme parks that have closed forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In April, we’re taking a thrilling ride into the world of theme parks. “We think of amusement parks as vibrant, colorful, noisy, cheerful places,” says Jim Futrell of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. Pripyat Amusement Park (Ukraine)The Pripyat Amusement Park was built right before the Chernobyl disaster. Yongma Land (South Korea)Once in a blue moon, abandoned theme parks find new life by adopting totally new functions. Faced with increased competition from Orlando’s modern theme parks, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and was eventually absorbed into LEGOLAND Florida.

☆ On Malaysia homecoming, Oscar winner Yeoh vows to nurture local film talent
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Yeoh, 60, won the Oscar for her portrayal of Chinese American laundromat owner Evelyn Wang in the science-fiction kung fu comedy "Everything Everywhere All at Once". We have to create platforms that will showcase their talent," Yeoh told a news conference before a fan event. Dressed in loose jeans and a white blouse, Yeoh posed for pictures smiling with her Oscar statuette in front of a sign that said "pride of Malaysia". [1/7] Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh shows her engraved Oscar statuette during a news conference after returning to her home country for the first time since winning her first Oscar for Best Lead Actress, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia April 18, 2023. "I heard the roar of joy, happiness all across the world to Los Angeles," she told fans, recalling when the winner was revealed.

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