South Korea

Southeast records new heat record as temperatures top 40 C for fourth straight day

SEOUL: Temperatures surpassed 40 C in the southeastern city of Yangsan for the fourth straight day. Setting a new record of 41.6 C as a scorching heatwave continued to grip the nation, the state weather agency said on Saturday

Nation

Negri polls: Voting turns into family affair for some

SEREMBAN: For Nur Hanie Erqya Mazlan, 21, returning home over the weekend was more than just about exercising her right to vote.

Cambodia

Singaporean 'runaway' found safe in Cambodia, kidnapping ruled out

PHNOM PENH: Fears that a wealthy young Singaporean woman had been lured to Cambodia and kidnapped turned out to be unfounded after the woman was found safe and well in the Kingdom.

Laos

Laos detains more than 1,000 suspects as cybercrime crackdown intensifies

VIENTIANE: Lao authorities detained 1,044 suspects linked to alleged online scam operations, illegal gambling and telecom fraud during nationwide crackdowns in July, as the government intensifies efforts to tackle transnational criminal networks.

Philippines

Philippine policeman, businessman arrested over P1.9 million in smuggled cigarettes

PAGADIAN CITY: Authorities arrested a policeman and a businessman after intercepting a van loaded with nearly P1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes during a checkpoint operation in Barangay Gatas, Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte late on Friday, July 31.

Sabah & Sarawak

Sabah expects remaining RM900mil federal special grant this year

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah expects to receive the remaining RM900mil of a RM1.5bil federal interim special grant by the end of this year, state Finance Minister Masidi Manjun says.

Nation

Heavy traffic as outstation voters flock home for Negri polls

SEREMBAN: Traffic flow on several major routes around Seremban, as well as connecting roads to outlying districts such as Bukit Putus, Kuala Pilah and Kuala Klawang in Jelebu, has been reported to be steadily building since early this morning.

India

Suspected terror operative arrested 12 years after West Bengal bombing exposed militant cell

KOLKATA: Twelve years after the blast in the Khagragarh locality of West Bengal's Bardhaman district that brought to light a Jamaat-ul-Mujahidin (JMB) sleeper cell in the city, the town once again found itself on high alert when a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative was arrested on Friday.

Pakistan

Leopard cub recovered in raid on illegal breeding farm in Lahore

LAHORE: The Punjab Wildlife Conservation and Parks Department, in a raid, recovered a leopard cub that was being kept illegally at a private breeding farm in the Soye Asal area of Lahore.

Nation

Back-to-back F1 races expected to deliver big tourism boost

 JOHOR BARU: Back-to-back Formula 1 races in the region this October are expected to deliver a major boost to Malaysia's tourism sector, according to Tourism Malaysia.

Nepal

World awaits news on missing climbers, including Nirmal Purja

KATHMANDU: Rescue teams on Pakistan's Broad Peak located six additional climbers by drone late on Friday, a day after an avalanche swept away a 10-member climbing team that included Nirmal Purja, the Nepali mountaineer known as "Nimsdai."

Thailand

Thailand to restrict cannabis strictly to medical use

BANGKOK:Thailand's Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine has unveiled a comprehensive draft bill aimed at reining in the country's cannabis sector, establishing a strict regulatory framework focused purely on health and wellness.

Nation

No post-election downtime, packed ministerial schedule ahead for Tok Mat

SEREMBAN: There will be no post-election downtime for Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Japan

Earthquake leaves 10km trail of ground cracks along Kumamoto's Hinagu fault zone

KUMAMOTO: Numerous cracks stretching more than 10km along the Hinagu fault zone, the epicentre of Tuesday's massive earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, have been confirmed by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

World

Thousands in Amsterdam for boisterous WorldPride in shadow of Berlin attack

AMSTERDAM, ⁠Aug 1 (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of revellers lined Amsterdam's canals on Saturday for the flagship event of WorldPride, ⁠resulting in a boisterous LGBT celebration and protest that organisers and participants said was particularly urgent after last ‌week's deadly attack on Berlin's Pride.

Japan

Dogs allowed! Animal hospital opens doors to Japan quake survivors and their pets

KUMAMOTO: When a powerful earthquake jolted southern Japan this week, rattling homes and knocking out water and electricity, Tomoko Takaoka bundled up her beloved fluffy dogs and went in search of a safe place to stay

Singapore

Mamamoo reunite in Singapore with first concert here in three years

SINGAPORE: South Korean girl group Mamamoo reunited in Singapore for their first concert here in three years, delivering a performance that reaffirmed the quartet's chemistry and enduring appeal after a period focused on solo careers.

World

India's Modi says punishing student protesters will not resolve situation

MUMBAI, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Indian ⁠Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted to forgive students who ⁠hurled expletives at him during protests last month, saying that ‌punishing them and forcing them to appear repeatedly in court would not help resolve the situation.

Indonesia

Prabowo willing to visit North Korea for dialogue at South Korea's request

JAKARTA: Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto said on July 31 that South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had asked whether he could visit North Korea to open a dialogue, adding that he would be willing to go.

China

Long March spirit brought to life through art exhibition

HANGZHOU: To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long March victory, the China Academy of Art is showcasing a collection of inspiring artworks depicting the arduous journey to triumph.