Holding candles and writing condolences as monks chanted prayers, hundreds of Thais held an evening vigil Sunday for the 29 victims of an "unprecedented" mass shooting carried out by a soldier.Sharpshooters killed the gunman on Sunday morning after a 17-hour ordeal, including a night of firefights and terrifying dashes for mall exits by shoppers trapped in the Terminal 21 mall in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat.The provincial governor told reporters that the total death toll

Scientists from the United States (US) to Australia are using new technology in an ambitious, multi-million-dollar drive to develop a vaccine in record time to tackle China's coronavirus outbreak. The new virus has spread rapidly since emerging late last year in China, killing more than 800 people in the mainland and infecting over 37,000.

Malaysia is home to important habitats for marine turtles such as nesting beaches for the laying of eggs and coral reefs and seagrass beds as their feeding grounds. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia, the country hosts four out of the seven species of marine turtles found in the world, which are the green, hawksbill, olive ridley and leatherback. Marine turtles are vital for ocean ecosystems.

Hindus gathered in temples across Malaysia on Saturday to celebrate the annual Thaipusam festival, with many piercing their bodies with hooks and skewers, despite concerns about the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak.Massive crowds descended on the Batu Caves temple complex on the outskirts of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to participate in the event, where Hindus showcased their devotion to the deity, Lord Murugan.Worshippers walked barefoot up 272 steps to reach the temple – an important

A Thai soldier remained holed up in a shopping mall Saturday after gunning down at least 17 people, emergency services said, in an attack relayed through Facebook posts.The attack in the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima began late in the afternoon at an army barracks, police said. Three people were killed – among them at least one soldier – when Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma opened fire."He stole an army vehicle and drove into the town centre," said police Lieuten

Seattle coffee franchise, Starbucks Inc. opened its largest store in Southeast Asia – the Starbucks Dewata Coffee Sanctuary, in partnership with licensee PT Sari Coffee Indonesia. The store is a tribute to Indonesia’s role, as the fourth largest Arabica coffee growing region in the world, and for bringing Starbucks customers the highest quality coffees.

Thailand's health minister lashed out at "Western" tourists on Friday for not wearing face masks and suggested they be expelled from the country for putting others at risk during the novel coronavirus outbreak.The outburst came as the kingdom faced steep losses over a drop in visitors from China, where the virus has killed more than 600 people and prompted sweeping travel restrictions.Tourism accounts for 18 percent of the country's gross domestic product and Chinese holid

The death toll from China's novel coronavirus outbreak rose to 717 on Saturday as the country seethes over an epidemic that claimed the life of a popular doctor and created global panic.The toll has now surpassed the number of people who died in mainland China and Hong Kong during the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, after another 81 people succumbed to the illness in central Hubei province.More than 34,000 people have been infected in China by the new strain,

The world welcomed 2020 with paranoia and caution as the novel coronavirus that originated from Wuhan, China – spread around the globe. As of 7 February 2020, over 600 deaths have been recorded and more than 30,000 people have been infected. The public are encouraged to wear masks at all times and flights to and from China have been cancelled in some countries. Wuhan and other cities in China have been quarantined and are now under lockdown to halt the spread of the deadly virus.

Receiving money to "offset" buying planes and equipment did not necessarily constitute bribery, Malaysia's Prime Minister said Thursday, days after AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes stepped aside temporarily in the wake of a US$4 billion Airbus graft scandal.AirAsia founder and CEO Fernandes and company executive Chairman Kamarudin Meranun deny allegations of misconduct, but have stepped aside after Airbus last week settled a court case in Europe which alleged the planemaker paid bri