SINGAPORE, Dec 28 — Singaporean Soif Noor has already bought furniture and appliances for his new home, four months before he can move in.

BANGKOK, Dec 27 — Thailand has met its tourism target for 2022 as more than 11.5 million foreign tourists visited the kingdom, thus far.

BEIJING, Dec 27 — China will optimise immigration administration policies and measures starting from January 8, 2023, in compliance with the country's downgraded Covid-19 response measures.

MOSCOW, Dec 27 — Mandatory testing for Covid-19 is being introduced by the Japanese government from December 30 upon arrival for travellers from China due to an increase in the number of confirmed cases there, Japanese media reported on Tuesday.

BANGKOK, Dec 27 — Two more bodies have been recovered from the waters after a Thai warship sank during a storm in the Gulf of Thailand on December 18.

MANILA, Dec 27 — The death toll from heavy rain and floods triggered by shear line in the Philippines has climbed to 13, said the government's disaster agency on Tuesday.

BEIJING, Dec 27 — China will cancel nucleic acid tests for international arrivals starting from January 8, a statement on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

NAYPYITAW, Dec 27 — A court in military-ruled Myanmar will deliver its final verdicts in cases against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday, said a source familiar with her trials, wrapping up marathon proceedings that have been condemned in the West as a sham.

NEW DELHI/DHAKA, Dec 27 — The possible sinking of a boat in recent weeks with 180 Rohingya Muslims on board could make 2022 one of the deadliest years at sea in almost a decade for the community, a UN agency said, as refugees try to flee desperate conditions in Bangladesh camps.

WASHINGTON, December 27 — Twitter head Elon Musk has confirmed that the social media platform is no longer "in the fast lane to bankruptcy” reported dpa.

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 — Twitter reportedly interfered with discussions regarding Covid-19 by censoring information that contradicted consecutive United States (US) administrations and suppressed experts who disagreed with official positions.

SEOUL, Dec 27 — Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea on Monday and South Korea responded by scrambling jets and attack helicopters and opening fire to try to shoot down the North Korean aircraft, the South Korean military said.

MANILA, Dec 27 — Philippine authorities on Monday (December 26) reported at least eight deaths mostly due to floods triggered by heavy rains in the southern provinces, as Christmas celebrations were disrupted for thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate.

BEIJING, Dec 27 — China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from January 8, the National Health Commission said on Monday in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020.

KATHMANDU, Dec 25 — Former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as "Prachanda," has been appointed Nepal's new prime minister, bringing a surprising end to the political drama that saw power change hands overnight, reported dpa.

JAKARTA, Dec 25 — Dozens of Rohingya refugees landed on the shores of Indonesia's Aceh province on Sunday following demands from humanitarian organisations to allow them to disembark after being adrift at sea for a month, reported dpa.

NEW YORK, Dec 25 — A snowstorm in the United States (US) killed at least 17 people in weather-related accidents and left more than 1.7 million homes and workplaces without power, Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted the local media and the National Weather Service (NWS) Saturday.

NEW YORK, Dec 25 — Twitter Inc has restored a feature that promotes suicide prevention hotlines and other safety resources to users looking up certain content, after coming under pressure from some users and consumer safety groups over its removal.

BANGKOK, Dec 23 — Wanted Malaysian businessman Teow Wooi Huat will know his fate on January 18, when the Bangkok Criminal Court decides whether he will be extradited to Malaysia or to China.

BANGKOK, Dec 23 — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan o-cha today announced that he has joined Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (United Thai Nation) to run in a general election due to be held before May next year.