The new coronavirus outbreak can now be described as a pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was troubled by the spread and severity of the outbreak, along with a lack of action taken to combat it."WHO has been assessing this outbreak around the clock and we're deeply concerned, both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction," he told a news conferenc

Dutch King Willem-Alexander apologised to Indonesia on Tuesday for "excessive violence" during the former colony's independence struggle in the 1940s.The king made the remarks during a state visit to the country with Queen Maxima after a ceremony with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in the capital Jakarta.Indonesia declared its independence on 17 August, 1945 following a brief wartime occupation by the Japanese and several hundred years as a Dutch colony."The past cannot

Myanmar's military on Tuesday quashed proposals in parliament that would mean its MPs relinquish power, in a vote pitting the armed forces in open opposition against Aung San Suu Kyi as elections loom. The vote was the climax of a year of fierce debates between MPs as the civilian government attempted to reform the constitution and reduce the military's stranglehold on parliament.The country is gearing up to polls likely to be held later this year, only the second since out

In December 2019, Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen dismissed a threat from the European Union (EU) to halt special trade privileges over human rights issues. “I don’t care, if (they) want to do whatever, do it,” Hun Sen said in a speech at a university graduation ceremony in the capital city of Phnom Penh.

Indonesian police seized over half a million face masks from a Jakarta-area warehouse after the country's first confirmed cases of coronavirus sparked panic buying and sent prices for prevention products skyrocketing.Authorities were questioning two people after the Tuesday evening raid at a warehouse in satellite city Tangerang, where nearly 600,000 surgical masks were found.The owners did not have permission to distribute the masks, police said."Mask prices have skyrocketed everyw

Malaysian police questioned ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad's daughter and 18 other activists Wednesday over several small, peaceful protests triggered by the elderly leader losing power and a corruption-tainted party's return.The reformist "Pact of Hope" alliance, which took power in a historic victory two years ago, collapsed last week and 94-year-old prime minister Mahathir resigned.He then sought to return as premier but unexpectedly lost out to Muhyiddin Yassin, who is ba

Malaysia's new prime minister insisted Monday he was no "traitor" after taking power without an election and with support from a scandal-tainted party, following political heavyweight Mahathir Mohamad's shock resignation."I know there are those who are angry with me - I am not a traitor," Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address - his first extensive comments since being inaugurated Sunday."I have a clear conscience.

A staunch Muslim nationalist backed by a scandal-mired party was sworn in as Malaysia's premier Sunday after a reformist government's collapse, but ex-leader Mahathir Mohamad, 94, slammed the move as illegal.The Southeast Asian nation was plunged into turmoil after Mahathir's "Pact of Hope" alliance, which stormed to a historic victory in 2018, collapsed amid bitter infighting.Mahathir, who was the world's oldest leader, initially quit as premier but then sought

Malaysia's political crisis deepened Saturday after 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad rejected a decision by the king to pick his rival as the next prime minister, insisting he had enough backing to return to the role.Ex-interior minister Muhyiddin Yassin was earlier named for the job by the monarch, who appoints the country's premiers after deciding who has backing from MPs, signalling a defeat for Mahathir and the return of a scandal-plagued party to power.It capped a week of turmoil t

Malaysia's king struck down Friday a power play by 94-year-old Mahathir Mohamad aimed at seizing momentum in a political crisis, capping a week of turmoil that has left the country effectively leaderless.He rejected Mahathir's plan to convene parliament to vote on the country's next prime minister, after it was widely criticised as against the constitution.Old foes Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim are locked in a power struggle sparked by the elderly leader's resignation and the