Thousands of Thai protesters on Saturday gathered in the rain in Bangkok, as a youth-led movement seeking political and royal reforms sharpens its aim at the entire pyramid of Thai power with calls for democracy and equality.Many demonstrators, young and old, raised three-fingered salutes, waved banners, chanted anti-government slogans and hurled abuses at Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, as they congregated around Sanam Luang, a public square in front of the Grand Palace.Thai students, many…

Global deaths from the coronavirus neared 950,000 on Saturday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, after cases surpassed 30 million a day before.India has maintained its surge in coronavirus cases, adding 93,337 new confirmed infections in the past 24 hours.The Health Ministry on Saturday raised the nation’s caseload to more than 5.3 million out of the nearly 1.4 billion people. It said 1,247 more people died in the past 24 hours for a total of 85,619. The country has over a…

Singapore police are looking into a complaint from Ernst & Young that a firm owned by bidders for soccer club Newcastle United allegedly used the auditor’s unauthorised signatures on financial statements.The investigation is the latest scrutiny of Singaporean business duo Terence and Nelson Loh since a report that their other firm behind the Newcastle bid doctored photos of Barack Obama and made other suspect claims in its marketing material.The police report lodged this week relates to the…

Across Southeast Asia, scenario planning exercises by analysts and policymakers preparing for the unthinkable – a military clash between the world’s two largest economies in their backyard – has taken on added significance in recent weeks.Tensions between the US and China, already fraught over trade, technology and the South China Sea, deepened as Beijing protested against Washington’s ties to Taipei and conducted military activities close to the self-ruled island last week.The question “What…

A Singapore man has admitted to supplying luxury perfume, cosmetics and watches worth tens of thousands of dollars to North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions.Chong Hock Yen, the 60-year-old director of three Singapore-based companies, pleaded guilty on Thursday to engaging in a conspiracy to supply luxury goods worth almost US$200,000 to the isolated country.Over nearly six years, the companies supplied items including perfume, cosmetics, watches, and musical instruments to firms…