A 40-meter-long dragon sculpture hangs from the roof of a shopping mall, as part of festive decorations welcoming the Lunar New Year 2024, Year of the Dragon, in Singapore. - Reuters
Malaysia:
* King, Queen extend Chinese New Year greetings
* PM calls on cops to improve work performance, restore integrity
* MACC statements prejudicial to Daim's right to fair trial, says his legal team
* Fed Court rules 16 of the 18 provisions challenged in Kelantan syariah law as unconstitutional
* Syariah Courts’ position guaranteed by Constitution, says Mohd Na’im
* Court’s verdict nothing to do with Islamic doctrine, says lawyer Nik Elin
* Crowd gathers for prayer at Putrajaya as court to decide on challenge against syariah law
* Cops cripple smuggling ring in Kuching, seize RM98mil in booze and ciggies, says Bukit Aman
* Apex court decision can have impact on powers of Royal institution, claims Hamzah
* Outcome of public service salary review to be announced by end of year, says Anwar
* Politician’s son charged for sexually harassing minor in Tawau
* Twenty men, seven women nabbed in Melaka anti-vice raid
Dancers carry a Chinese dragon as people offer money, during the Lunar New Year's eve in Bangkok, Thailand. - Reuters
Singapore:
* Chinese actress Esther Yu to spend CNY with family in Singapore
* Rod Stewart cancels concerts in KL, Bangkok, Manila; Singapore gig still on
* New rules for bicycles, other novel mobility devices to kick in from March 1
* PM Lee urges Singaporeans to have more children, and to do so earlier
* Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia hope to lure Chinese with visa-free travel
* Man who allegedly murdered his neighbour in Bukit Batok remanded for another 4 weeks
* Budget to focus on jobs and cost of living relief - Singapore's main aim
* Oil heads for weekly gains after Israel rejects ceasefire offer
* AI ‘represents’ South-East Asians - Biased GPT? Singapore builds model to lessen reliance on Western tech data
Indonesia:
* Ex-Indonesia leader Megawati advises cabinet not to quit amid criticism of Jokowi
* Rain shamans and doppelgangers: Fun facts about Indonesia’s elections
* Song, dance and divisive politics take centre stage in Indonesian musical ahead of national vote
* Cat lover campaigns for animal rights in Indonesia elections
* Indonesia survey projects presidential hopeful Prabowo gaining majority votes
* Ganjar faces battle to overcome Jokowi’s election betrayal
* K-pop fans rally for Anies - Many have been trying out large language models (LLM) such as Meta’s Llama 2 and Mistral AI
* Generative AI faces major test in election in Indonesia / * Indonesian bond titans worry about deficit risk
A laughing monk and lion dancers perform on Yaowarat Road in Chinatown in Bangkok on February 9, 2024, on the eve of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon which falls on Sunday, February 10. - AFP
Thailand:
* Thai bus crash injures 13 Danish tourists and kills driver
* Canadian charged for trying to open Thai plane door on runway
* Thailand to explore deposits of natural gas, crude oil and petroleum
* Thai billionaire plans to open 250 more hotels in three years
* ‘Begging’ elephant tramples owner to death in Thailand
* Thaksin’s parole to be in strict adherence with ‘Rule of Law’: Justice minister
* Dengue fever becoming big problem, over 8,000 infected in January in Thailand
Philippines:
* Philippines says joint exercises held with United States in South China Sea
* China warns Philippines against ‘playing with fire’ as Manila boosts military presence near Taiwan
* Marcos to Filipino singles: Take care of your heart
* Philippines expects stable rice price in first half of 2024
* Child rescued nearly 60 hours after Philippine landslide
* Old Chinatown draws crowds in Philippines
People pray at Satya Dharma temple in Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Friday, February 9, 2024, on the eve of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon which falls on February 10. - AFP
Vietnam:
* El Nino waning and La Nina to develop in second half of 2024
* Vietnam's rare 'dragon chickens' all the rage for Lunar New Year
* Spirit of lunar new year or Tet alive in ancient Vietnamese village
* Holiday-hit Asian markets mixed as Wall St record fails to inspire
* Emerging Markets - Most Asian FX post weekly losses on US rate cut outlook, China gloom
Myanmar:
* India and Bangladesh's foreign ministers discuss situation in Myanmar
* Thailand says deliveries of humanitarian aid to Myanmar expected to start soon
* Over 300 Myanmar troops flee into Bangladesh during fighting with armed ethnic group
* Free movement suspended in Myanmar / No more Rohingya refugees, says Bangladesh
A man stands under lanterns during an event for the 430th anniversary of Manila's Chinatown, said to be the oldest in the world, at the capital's Binondo district, Philippines. Crowds are flocking to Manila's Chinatown to usher in the Year of the Wood Dragon and experience lively traditional dances on lantern-lit streets with food, lucky charms and prayers for good fortune. - AP
Cambodia:
* Bird flu kills boy in Cambodia
* Cambodia boosts growth with local rating agency; local and foreign investors have more trust in govt, says officials
* Cambodian PM Hun Manet wraps up Thai visit; both countries elevate bilateral ties, seek further cooperation
* Cambodia reports sixth confirmed case of monkey pox
Laos:
* Laos celebrates 100th anniversary of President Khamtay Siphandone's birth
* Laos and Luxembourg agree to strengthen ties in various areas
Brunei:
* Brunei top 10 in 5G download speed, mobile Internet speed in Asia-Pacific, Malaysia takes 2nd spot
* Long queues at borders of Miri and Kota Kinabalu as Bruneians opt for holidays amid long weekend
A man take photos of a giant dragon figure at a park in Beijing on Friday, February 9, 2024, which marks the eve of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. - AFP
AseanPlus:
* Malay director's first Cantonese movie tells a touching story of family in Taiping
* China's New Year travel rush kicks into high gear, country adds record number of trains
* Taylor Swift kicks off Asia tour with US$230mil Japan impact
* Asian representation in Hollywood is changing with more Korean actors debuting in Hollywood
* Russians enter North Korea in first foreign tour group since COVID-19 pandemic
* Kim Jong-un says he has lawful right to destroy South Korea
* In China, debate smoulders over beloved Chinese New Year fireworks tradition
* Nissan shares plummet as Q3 earnings highlight China worries
* Pakistan goes to the polls - Thousands brave the cold ro elect their new leader
* Australia to invest a further $260m on next-generation military drones
* Putin, in rare US interview, says Russia has no interest in wider war
* Google's Gemini AI app to land on phones, making it easier for people to connect to a digital brain
* Lawmakers urge Commerce to put TikTok-parent ByteDance on export control list
* China woes mount, investment banks brace for more Asia job cuts
* Nepal wants Mount Everest climbers to clear their poo
* India Hindu group puts allies in Muslim universities in outreach for votes
* Japan offers $300 million backing for chip research organisation
* Thai women’s team will still make Malaysia sweat despite Ratchanok’s absence
* Lunar New Year: Hong Kong soothsayers say fiery Dragon spells clashes, conflict and a boost for Trump against Biden
* Violent protests in Indian city kills two, more than 80 injured / Three dead after India madrassa demolition sparks religious clashes
* China ‘Bo Bo Chicken’ dance craze sweeps nation with catchy tune sampled from street vendor cry, surpasses ‘Subject Three’ mania
* ‘Warmest January so far’ - the hottest January on record, with global temperatures 1.66°C above the average during pre-industrial times
* Soccer - Qatar and Jordan look to answer critics in all-Arab Asian Cup final / Jordan will play with 'one heart, one soul' in Asian Cup final
