China is planning to digitize the medical records of its 1.4 billion people, harnessing the power of big data to track the health status of everyone in the country and sparking fears…
US to spend millions on construction projects at Philippine bases
The United States agreed to spend $66.5 million for construction at military bases in the Philippines, beginning next year, and is looking to fund more projects under a 2014 cooperation agreement between…
Strong condemnation of Ukraine war expected from G-20 summit
Most of the leaders of the Group of 20 meeting in Indonesia are expected to strongly condemn the war in Ukraine in a summit declaration, according to a draft obtained by BenarNews….
Cambodian PM scraps further summit plans due to positive COVID test
Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen has tested positive for COVID and decided to leave the Group of 20 Summit in Bali as a precaution. Hun Sen arrived on the Indonesian island on…
Anthem gaffe goes viral as stadium plays Hong Kong pro-democracy theme song
Was it intentional or a simple mistake? In a scene that went viral on social media in Hong Kong, the unofficial anthem of Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy protests was blared over the…
Analysis: Biden-Xi summit delivers calmer tone, reminders of US-China fault lines
Highly anticipated yet viewed with low expectations, the summit Monday between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping improved the tone in bilateral contacts after years of tensions while underscoring…
Lao youths blasted for carrying woman in palanquin around stupa in procession
A group of young Laotians have come under harsh criticism – and could be subjected to “re-education” – for carrying an ornately dressed woman in a palanquin around the country’s most important…
Hun Sen justifies giving U.S.$20,000 luxury watches to ASEAN summit VIPs
Prime Minister Hun Sen justified spending about U.S.$500,000 of the national budget on domestically produced luxury watches as gifts for visiting ASEAN dignitaries, arguing they showcased Cambodia’s “scientific and technical progress.” Critics…
Odd new hobbies under COVID: Group crawls and caring for cardboard 'pets'
Locked down on campus under China’s zero-COVID policy, university students are developing odd hobbies like group crawling and caring for cardboard pets, prompting concerns for their mental health, according to commentators and…
North Korea ‘volunteers’ young people for hard labor, but kids of elite can get out
North Korea calls them “volunteers” who willingly toil for free in coal mines and on farms as an expression of their love for the country and its leader. But in reality the…