North Korea, Malaysia step up dispute over Kim's death

A North Korean embassy staff asks police if they are allowed to leave as police puts a cordon at North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, March 7, 2017. The bitter diplomatic dispute between North Korea and Malaysia over the poisoning death of leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half-brother escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Pyongyang saying it had banned Malaysians from leaving North Korea. That was followed quickly by Malaysia saying North Korean embassy staff were barred from leaving its country. Malaysia had already expelled the North Korean ambassador on Monday. (Associated Press/Vincent Thian)
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The bitter diplomatic dispute between North Korea and Malaysia over the poisoning death of leader Kim Jong-un's estranged half-brother escalated dramatically Tuesday, with Pyongyang saying it had banned Malaysians from leaving North Korea.
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That was followed quickly by Malaysia saying North Korean embassy staff were barred from leaving its country. Malaysia had already expelled the North Korean ambassador on Monday.

The North's Foreign Ministry told the Malaysian Embassy in Pyongyang that it would temporarily ban the exit of Malaysian citizens now in the North, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
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It said the exit ban will be valid "until the safety of the diplomats and citizens of [North Korea] in Malaysia’s fully guaranteed through the fair settlement of the case that occurred in Malaysia."
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Malaysia is pursuing several North Korean suspects allegedly involved in the killing, including a diplomat at the North's Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has not accused the North of being behind the killing of Kim Jong-nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport three weeks ago, but South Korean has.
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Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Marican told reporters at parliament that there are 11 Malaysians in North Korea: Three working at the Malaysian Embassy, two United Nations workers and six family members.
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The North said Malaysian diplomats and citizens "may work and live normally under the same conditions and circumstances as before" during the period of the temporary exit ban.

It also said that the Malaysian ambassador would be expelled, although he has already been recalled to Malaysia.
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Source: TheJakartaPost

A night at the Thai Oscars

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"Dao Khanong" and "Khun Phan" sweep the Subhanahongsa awards

 In a first for the Thai film industry, an independent movie directed by a female filmmaker swept three of the national film awards including the coveted best film and best director prizes on Sunday night, proving that small films are able of outdoing big-budget mainstream productions.
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“Dao Khanong” (“By The Time It Gets Dark”) by Anocha Suvichakorn- pong also took home the best-editing prize at the 26th Subhanahongsa awards held at Bangkok’s KBank Siam Pic-Ganesha theatre. The film triumphed against nominees who included the commercial hit “Fanday … Fan Kun Khae Wan Diaw” (“One Day”) and another indie by a female director, “Mahasamut Lae Susan” (“The Island Funeral”).
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After giving her acceptance speech, Anocha told the press she hoped her win would inspire young female filmmakers.
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“We should cross the boundaries of gender. Men, women and the third gender all have a chance to win the award. Don’t let your gender be an obstacle to reaching your dreams,” said the director, who spent seven years working on the project.
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Speaking with XP at the film’s premiere at the Locarno Film Festival last year, Anocha described the film as being about politics, memories and cinema. The narrative starts with a female film director, 
who wants to learn more about the Thai student movement in 1976 so she interviews a well-known female writer who was part of the movement. The film then goes back in time before bringing the audience back to present to meet the other characters and witness their struggles in modern society.
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The director also thanked her family for giving her the freedom to do what she loves. “I want to dedicate this win to those who fight for the liberty of thought and expression,” Anocha said.
Action drama film “Khun Phan” swept the most awards, picking up best supporting actor for Krisada Sukosol Clapp, best visual effects, best costume design and best makeup effects.
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Indonesia - Authorities rescue young orangutan being kept as pet.

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Officers from the West Kalimantan Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) rescued a young orangutan from a local house in Sintang regency where it was being kept as a pet.
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The male 3-year-old orangutan named Andiki was bought by its owner about a month ago, West Kalimantan BKSDA head Margo Utomo said on Saturday.
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The owner told the agency personnel that the family bought the orangutan when they were having a meal in the Simpang Pinoh area in Makong.
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The agency received a tip off from local people about an orangutan being kept as a pet and then went to look for more information.
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Besides rescuing the orangutan, BKSDA officers also disseminated information on the 1990 Law on Natural Resources Conservation and Ecosystem that prohibits the capture of endangered wildlife.
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"After we spoke to the owner, the officers rescued Andiki in collaboration with the Sintang Orangutan Center," Margo said, as reported by Kompas.com.
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The orangutan has been taken to the rehabilitation unit at the Center's facility in Sintang before being released into its natural habitat.
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Margo added that the agency has pushed for public awareness in keeping the country's rich natural resources. The consumption of nature must be in line with conservation efforts.

"Therefore we must stop the illegal trade and ownership of protected wildlife," he added.
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Singapore offers a perfect place to make a winter escape

Its warm weather, sea breeze and fresh air make Singapore an ideal getaway for mainlanders fleeing the cold

The beauty of Singapore is that one can see all the country has to offer during a visit that is short and sweet. Its warm weather, sea breeze and fresh air easily make Singapore an ideal getaway for mainlanders, especially in winter, when many Chinese cities struggle with the cold or even smog.

On a recent three-day trip to Singapore, we go on a shopping spree and binge on food that is cheap and cheerful. We see glistening skyscrapers sitting next to each other along the riverside, while basking in the shade of lush plants in the botanic garden.

We sip coffee at a local cafe and enjoy the night life in a local bar.

Indeed, all these elements are rolled into this compact yet neat land that accounts for less than 5 percent of China's capital Beijing, the place we come from.

As a food aficionado, my first highlight comes when I enter the Tiong Bahru Market, whose second floor is a food court, which is ringed with assorted independent food stalls.

"There are many places like this, but this one offers authentic local cuisine," says Candy Yat, our tour guide.

"Also, the food here is cheaper than at some of its counterparts," says Yat.

The place is filled with restaurants, which offer dishes like oyster omelet, steamed rice cakes topped with preserved radish, braised noodles, and assorted dim sum stuffed with sticky rice or green beans.

Most of the dishes we order are priced between $1-3.

The Cheng Tng (clear soup) is one thing you must try. Don't be fooled by the somewhat tedious dark brown look of the soupy dessert, as all the treats are at the bottom. The soup is sweet but not cloying.

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Indonesia - Tambora festival returns with more locations

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Festival Pesona Tambora (Tambora Charms Festival) is set to return April 5 to 11 in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) for the third time.
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In addition to commemorating the volcano's massive eruption back in 1815, the event also aims to promote Sumbawa, especially for tourism.
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NTB Tourism Agency head Mohammad Faozal told The Jakarta Post in Mataram on Friday that this year's festival would be held across five cities and regencies on Sumbawa, namely the regencies of West Sumbawa, Sumbawa, Dompu and Bima, and the city of Bima. Last year's event was only held in Dompu and Bima regencies.
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"The peak of the event on April 11 will still take place in the Ndoro Ncanga savanna area at the foot of Mount Tambora, which is part of Dompu regency," he said.
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According to the schedule, the event will kick off with a three-day 320-kilometer Tambora Challenge ultra marathon, that will start from Mantar tourism village in West Sumbawa, as well as an international paragliding event, which has been dubbed "the village above the clouds". During previous ultra marathons, which require participants to finish the race in 20 hours, only two participants in 2015 and one in 2016 made it to the finish line.
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(Read also: Tambora festival expected to boost foreign arrivals in NTB)
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Meanwhile, Sumbawa regency is set to hold "One Night at Loka". Loka is the palace complex of King Sumbawa that has been declared cultural heritage. The city of Bima and Bima regency will join the festivity through Lawata Beach Festival and a seminar on the region's tourism and maritime potential.
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A number of travel packages have reportedly been booked for this year's festival, including a two-day and three-night package where travelers can stay for one night in Mataram and go camping in Ndoro Ncanga the next day.
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Co-organizer Kompas Media community director Rusdi Amral said that the company decided to commit to the event in 2015 to help develop Sumbawa's tourism potential. "Hopefully the region's tourism sector can boost its local economy," he added.
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Singapore - Chillin’ in the Bay

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The fifth edition of i Light Marina Bay gets underway in Singapore on Friday with state-of-the-art light art installations designed by veteran artists from nine countries bringing a glow to the coastline.
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Organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on the theme Light & Nature, this year’s event is divided into three zones featuring a series of 20 illuminated artworks made from energy-saving bulbs and other eco-friendly materials.
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The Art Zoo theme at the Float @ Marina Bay offers an interactive adventure through 11 blow-up art installations including a giraffe maze, a whale’s belly and a giant spider. Next door is the Fantastical World of eco.me offering many sustainability themed activities around The Promontory @ Marina Bay.
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 Decorated with tables, benches and colourful planters made with wooden pallets and beer crates, a recycling and upcycling marketplace, a kinetic energy playground and urban farming showcases will educate visitors in how to sustain the environment and save energy.
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The Gastrobeats zone at the Bayfront Event Space, meanwhile, is the perfect place to chill and enjoy carnival rides and the Silent Disco, in which visitors wear wireless noise-cancelling headphones to listen to live-streamed music.
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Visitors can even take their favourite artworks home thanks to local artist Lee Yun Qin, who is offering some 800 intricate stalks from her work, “MoonFlower”, for public adoption.
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The i Light Marina Bay festival continues through March 26 and is open nightly from 7.30 to 11with an extension to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free. Find out more at www.iLightMarinaBay.sg.
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.Source: TheNation
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Death penalty upheld in British backpacker case.

‘solid’ evidence two myanmar men killed britons on Koh Tao, rules Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal has upheld the death penalty against two Myanmar migrant workers for one of the most shocking crimes in Thailand’s history – the violent murders of two British backpackers on the resort island of Koh Tao.
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David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were fatally beaten on the beach on September 15, 2014. Witheridge was also raped.
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The gruesome crime made headlines in Thailand and across the world.
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Police arrested defendant Zaw Lin on Koh Tao – a part of Surat Thani province – about two weeks after the crime took place. Wai Phyo (Win Zaw Tun), the second defendant, was later arrested at a pier in Surat Thani town.
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The two defendants pled innocent and insisted that their initial confessions had been made under duress. Their legal team also tried to rebut evidence submitted by the plaintiff.
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The Criminal Court, however, ruled in December 2015 that there was sufficient evidence against the two migrant workers, convicting and sentencing them to death.
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After reviewing the evidence, the Court of Appeal concluded the defendants were guilty beyond doubt.
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“All items of evidence offered by the plaintiffs are reasonably linked and solid. The ruling is not made on any single piece of evidence but as a whole,” the court said.
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The court dismissed as unreasonable the defendants’ complaint that investigators had failed to record every step of the process in gathering evidence. The defendants argued that police did not have pictures of collecting samples from the female victim. “It’s not possible to take pictures of every step taken in a long process,” the court ruled.
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Nakhon Chomphuchat, a lawyer for the defendants, said they would now file a petition the Supreme Court.
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Both defendants are being held at the Bang Kwang Central Prison in Nonthaburi province.

They were informed of the Appeal Court’s ruling on February 23 at Nonthaburi Provincial Court, while the verdict was read out officially for the plaintiffs to hear at Samui Provincial Court yesterday, Nakhon said.
Source: TheNation