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Asia sounds alarm as Japan whitewashes wartime history amid military buildup

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 15:15:23 GMT

HONG KONG, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Senior Japanese officials paid homage to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine Saturday, the 81st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, sparking widespread outrage across the international community, especially Asian countries and regions that endured brutal Japanese aggression.

Governments, historians and observers across Asia have sounded the alarm over Japan's g

DRI uncovers Rs 2,500 crore customs duty fraud in areca nut imports, 9 arrested

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 13:31:15 GMT

New Delhi [India], August 16 (ANI): The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in a month-long intelligence-led operation, has dismantled a major network involved in importing South-East Asian areca nuts into India by falsely declaring them as Bangladeshi origin and fraudulently availing concessional duty benefits under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

The

MALAYSIA-SELANGOR-ECRL RAIL MEGAPROJECT-TESTING AND COMMISSIONING PHASE

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:45:33 GMT

(260814) -- SELANGOR, Aug. 14, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Train attendants walk past a train at the Gombak station of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) in Selangor state, Malaysia, Aug. 14, 2026. The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is expected to begin commercial operations by January 2027, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook sa

Uncovering Unit 731's dark history requires broader int'l cooperation, says Singaporean historian

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 01:45:05 GMT

SINGAPORE, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- "More than 80 years have passed, and only now are we beginning to realize how much Japan still hasn't told us," said Lim Shao Bin, a Singaporean historian who has spent decades tracing Japan's biological warfare activities in Southeast Asia, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

As each new discovery serves as a reminder of how much remains undocumented, Lim said that filling those gap

"Strategic gateway to Southeast Asia": Union Minister Margherita highlights Assam's role under 'Act East Policy'

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:30:08 GMT

New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs (MEA) Pabitra Margherita on Thursday said Assam is central to India's Act East Policy and serves as the country's 'strategic gateway to Southeast Asia', highlighting government initiatives to develop the State as a trade and connectivity gateway to the region.

Responding to an unstarred question by BJP MP Jogen Mohan in the Rajya Sabha, M

India, Malaysia commence bilateral exercise Udara Shakti 2026 at Subang Air Base

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 20:57:33 GMT

Selangor [Malaysia], August 13 (ANI): The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) have commenced bilateral Exercise Udara Shakti 2026 at Subang Air Base in Malaysia.

According to a post by the Indian Air Force on X, air warriors from both nations are engaged in joint field training and Subject Matter Expert exchanges.

India's forex demand shifts beyond metros as Tier 2, 3 cities contribute 53 per cent: Thomas Cook report

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:31:49 GMT

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): India's foreign exchange market is undergoing a significant shift, with Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities now accounting for 53 per cent of forex demand, while younger consumers are accelerating digital adoption and travellers are increasingly opting for destination-specific currencies, according to a report by Thomas Cook India.

Based on transaction data for April 2025 to March 2026, t

ITC Infotech Strengthens Strategic Tech Partnership With British American Tobacco (BAT) in New Multi-year Mandate

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 15:32:26 GMT

BusinessWire India

London [UK]/ Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], August 12: ITC Infotech, a leading global technology services and solutions provider, today announced a landmark multi-year strategic technology deal with British American Tobacco (BAT). Along with BAT, ITC Infotech will accelerate the transformation of BAT's technology landscape to drive AI-enabled innovation, strengthen skills, and improve efficienc

Ananthu S Manoj and NeuroHue Therapeutics Expand Clinical Intelligence Across India and Malaysia

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:57:54 GMT

VMPL

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 12: Dr. Ananthu S Manoj is an Indian physician, healthcare technology founder, and the Founder and Designated Partner of NeuroHue Therapeutics LLP, an Indian health technology company developing clinical intelligence systems for neurodevelopmental care.

NeuroHue was founded in 2025 by Dr. Ananthu S Manoj, following earlier work around structured developmental

'Government does not feel responsible towards people': Priyanka Gandhi questions police action against student protesters

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:30:36 GMT

New Delhi [India], August 12 (ANI): Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday questioned the government's response to police action against student protesters and the Opposition's demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament.

Priyanka Gandhi said the Opposition's demand for a statement had not been fulfilled and alleged that this reflected a lack of accountability towards the peopl

World Insights: Asia sounds alarm as Japan whitewashes wartime history amid military buildup

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 11:45:25 GMT

Governments, historians and observers across Asia have sounded the alarm over Japan's

Malaysian firms see Xiamen as gateway to Chinese market amid BRICS ties

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 01:15:21 GMT

For Malaysian businesses looking to enter the Chinese market, Xiamen is emerging as a key gateway. Hear what Malaysian business leaders say about opportunities for cooperation between the two sides and under the BRICS framework.

Malaysia records strong Q2 economic growth, says PM

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:45:09 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian economy continued to defy expectations for the third consecutive quarter, growing strongly by 6.0 percent in the second quarter of 2026 despite shocks that have disrupted the global economy, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said the figure, higher than the 5.4 percent in the preceding quarter, marked Malaysia's stron

Malaysia posts 2.64-bln-USD current account surplus in Q2

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:45:13 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's current account balance recorded a surplus of 10.8 billion ringgit (about 2.64 billion U.S. dollars) in the second quarter of 2026, supported by a stronger goods surplus that offset a deterioration in the services account, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said on Friday.

The goods surplus increased substantially to 40.7 billion ringgit, while the services account

Malaysia's economy grows 6 pct in Q2 as exports, demand strengthen

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:15:13 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's economy expanded 6 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from 5.4 percent in the first quarter, supported by resilient domestic demand and stronger exports, the country's central bank said on Friday.

Household spending was supported by steady income growth and ongoing policy measures, while investment continued to benefit from spending on st

ECRL rail megaproject expected to begin commercial operations in 2027, says official

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:15:08 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia being built by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), is expected to begin commercial operations by January 2027, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said on Friday.

In the meantime, the railway has reached 95.08 percent overall progress and has entered its testing and commissioning phase, keep

Malaysia sees more areas reporting unhealthy air quality

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:15:17 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Unhealthy air quality was detected across 11 areas in Malaysia on Thursday, according to data from the country's air quality monitoring system.

The northern Borneo state of Sarawak was badly affected, with the Semarahan district recording the highest air pollutant index (API) of 183, followed by Serian (182), Kuching (176), Sarikei and Sri Aman (158), and Mukah and Sibu (152), a

Malaysia's natural rubber output falls 4.7 pct in Q2

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:45:13 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's natural rubber production fell 4.7 percent year-on-year to 65,266 tons in the second quarter of 2026, official data showed on Thursday.

The figure also represented an 8.1 percent decline from the first quarter, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said.

Meanwhile, production in June rose 31.5 percent month-on-month to 26,553 tons. Exports surged 35.2 percent m

Malaysia labor demand up 1.7 pct to 9.25 mln jobs in Q2

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:45:04 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's labor demand expanded 1.7 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, with the total number of jobs reaching 9.25 million, official data showed on Thursday.

The increase represented an additional 152,300 jobs compared with the 9.1 million recorded in the second quarter of 2025, despite ongoing global uncertainties, including geopolitical conflicts, supply chai

Malaysia births fall 6.1 pct to 90,726 in Q2

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 10:15:22 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia recorded 90,726 live births in the second quarter of 2026, down 6.1 percent year on year, official data showed Thursday.

Of the total, 46,953 were male babies and 43,773 were female babies, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement.

In terms of ethnicity, Malays accounted for 67.3 percent of all live births in the quarter, up from 67.1 percent.

Malaysia construction sector grows 8.8 pct in Q2

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 09:15:12 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's construction sector continued its steady growth in the second quarter of 2026, with the value of work done rising 8.8 percent year-on-year to 47.8 billion ringgit (11.68 billion U.S. dollars), compared with 8.5 percent growth in the first quarter, official data showed on Thursday.

The performance was driven mainly by the special trade activities and non-residential bu

Interview: Malaysia-China cooperation can drive growth in resource processing, high-value manufacturing, says Malaysian expert

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:45:08 GMT

by Jonathan Edward, Wang Jiawei

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's technological and industrial strengths, coupled with its capacity to support skills development and industrial scaling, are important to bilateral cooperation with Malaysia in resource processing and high-value manufacturing, according to a Malaysian expert.

Syed Muhammad Ibad, a geoscientist and environmental geologist at Universit

Interview: ASEAN-China cooperation key to regional stability, growth, says Malaysian National News Agency CEO

Thu, 13 Aug 2026 02:45:05 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Cooperation between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China will be key to ensuring regional stability and economic growth even as the world continues to grapple with geopolitical challenges, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama).

Beyond legacy trade and products, this relationship will play an importa

Malaysia's services sector grows 11.2 pct in Q2

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 08:15:07 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's services sector grew 11.2 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue reaching 714.7 billion ringgit (174.72 billion U.S. dollars), according to official data released Wednesday.

The sector's growth was supported by resilient domestic demand and stronger trade activity, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said in a statement.

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