TOP NEWS Rahul Gandhi asked to vacate government bungalow Myanmar junta chief vows continued crackdown, before elections India continues hunt for separatist preacher Amritpal Singh amid fears of unrestMORE HEADLINES FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC The Japan NewsJapan’s job-hunting students reluctant to remove masks Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippines: Covid-19 cases still going up but hospital admissions low The Straits TimesSingapore hospitals resume elective surgery deferred due to Covid-19 The StatesmanWhite House to disband Covid response team in May The Japan NewsStores cash in on Sakura viewing season without Covid restrictions The Phnom Penh PostNo new Covid cases in Cambodia The Straits TimesFree of Covid-19 restrictions, Bali marks Nyepi New Year with colour and crowds The Japan News42% of Japan’s population has Covid antibodies, survey finds The Korea HeraldSK’s new Covid-19 cases at 9-month low; govt lifts mask mandate on public transport Philippine Daily InquirerWHO, advisors urge China to release all Covid-related data after new research China DailyHainan resumes visa-free travel policy China DailyHK tourist arrivals exceed 1m for first time since 2020 The Korea HeraldKorea to lift mask mandate for public transport from March 20 The Japan NewsTo mask or not to mask: That is the question for Japan China DailyChina to resume issuing all types of foreign visas China DailyChina’s students, teachers no longer have to wear masks at schools NATIONAL AFFAIRS VIEW MORE Srettha, 60, is expected to be nominated as a PM candidate by the Pheu Thai Party next week. He is currently chief adviser to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, who leads the Pheu Thai family. Around Asia, National Affair Right, NATIONAL AFFAIRS Erick Thohir’s popularity grows as potential VP candidate ... Around Asia, National Affair Right, NATIONAL AFFAIRS Golkar chairman joins NasDem, opposition figures at Iftar dinne ... Around Asia, COMBATING INFLATION, National Affair Right, NATIONAL AFFAIRS Two million tonne rice import plan puts Indon govt on tightrope ... ECONOMIC AFFAIRS VIEW MORE Authorities are looking at ways to launch a coupon program that provides a certain discount when booking hotels and resorts in the country. Pakatan Harapan's member who has proposed the question also wants to know measures or efforts that have been or would be taken by the government to ensure the country's food security. EDUCATION VIEW MORE Asked about the hurdles to securing coaches and advisers from outside the faculty, education boardswere allowed to choose multiple answers. The nation’s two sessions, held earlier this month, offered important guidance for Hong Kong, political heavyweights said. SPECIAL REPORTSVIEW ALL MORE HEADLINES Ex-president Chun Doo-hwan’s grandson arrested over drug use as he enters Korea ... Two crew killed after fire on tanker carrying Pertamina fuel ... Din Tai Fung founder Yang Bing-yi dies, aged 96 ... Japan unveils new Supercomputer to improve torrential rainfall forecasts ... HK young people encouraged to learn gist of two sessions ... MALAYSIA The StarM’sia: Bill tabled to abolish mandatory death sentence The Straits TimesConcerns grow in Malaysia over freedom of expression under Anwar government The StarAnwar’s Saudi trip defended as a success after opposition calls it a failure The Straits TimesJob offers vanished once dad was not PM any more: Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s son The Straits TimesSelangor state polls will be a ‘litmus test’ for PM Anwar’s government The StarDon’t defy ban on politics in mosques, warns Johor Sultan The Straits TimesMalaysia’s opposition bloc rejects Mahathir’s former party’s membership application The Straits TimesMuhyiddin set for ‘Bossku’ role as lightning rod for anti-govt dissent The StarUmno polls: Eight vying for three Vice-President posts The StarAvoid acts that can cause public uneasiness: M’sia religious affairs minister The Straits TimesMalaysia’s PM Anwar cruises through Day One of Parliament The StarMalaysian premier Anwar sues ex-PM Muhyiddin over RM15 million payment claim The Straits TimesAnwar set to win confidence vote, but two-thirds majority will be a close call The Straits TimesMalaysia’s Parliament sits for first time under PM Anwar, elects Speaker from PKR The StarAnwar asks diplomats to take fresh approach to woo foreign investments China DailyMalaysia and China ready to move forward in relationship CHINA’S CPC CONGRESS The Yomiuri ShimbunFormer Chinese President Hu’s sudden exit from party congress continues to raise speculation The Japan NewsXinhua publishes article on CCP leadership selection process The Straits TimesThe 7 men who will rule China China DailyUpholding key principles of congress urged The Japan NewsPresident Xi says China’s economy has high resilience, room for maneuver China DailySouth Asian leaders hail China’s role The Japan NewsPresident Xi appoints associates to top ranks, eliminates nearly all non-loyalists The Jakarta PostChina’s new chapter, world’s new opportunity China DailyCPC: Resolving Taiwan question highlighted in report The Korea HeraldPresident Xi says China, North Korea should further cooperate amid complex security dynamics GLOBAL WARMING China DailyFlood season arrives early in S.China The Japan NewsHay Fever Products Flying Off Shelves in Japan as weather turns warm earlier than before The Daily StarThe woeful state of three Bangladesh rivers The NationTemperatures surpass 40 degrees Celsius, high winds and hail are next in Thailand’s north-east The Korea HeraldKorea, Indonesia join forces to build EV ecosystem The Straits Times11 million families in Philippines facing water crisis China DailyExtremely hot: HKO to introduce new warning as climate warms The StatesmanIndia’s PM to gift solar energy project to his parliamentary constituency tomorrow The Jakarta PostNew research shows true danger of waste burning in the greater Jakarta area The Jakarta PostWhy we need healthy forests for healthy people: FAO Director The Jakarta PostTrash trawler launched to clear waters off Bali The StatesmanBottled water industry can undermine progress towards safe water for all: United Nations The Japan NewsPlastic Entering Oceans Could Nearly Triple by 2040 The Straits TimesSleepless in Singapore? Even nights are getting hotter, according to temperature data DawnLahore most polluted city, Chad worst among countries in 2022: Survey The Phnom Penh PostCambodia implements national cooling action plan CRIME VIEW MORE South Korea claims jurisdiction over its citizens outside of the country, so Koreans can be subject to prosecution even if they use drugs overseas. The two individuals were found eating their meals at an open-air wooden hut on the beach at 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday when security guards patrolled the areas. WORTH A READ VIEW MORE Chicken rice seller Ong Eng Kim slashed the price of his standard plate of chicken rice by about 40% – from RM5 to RM3 – and now he gets long lines of happy customers every day. The figure is almost half of the total number of Filipino families, which stood at 26.39 million in 2020, according to the latest government data. SOCIETY VIEW MORE In my primary school days, one of my classmates pushed me headfirst into the gutter as we lined up for our morning ceremony, the author writes. Most of the jobs they do are ones that Koreans are reluctant to do, as many of the worksites have lax safety standards. MORE HEADLINES Malaysia’s opposition bloc rejects Mahathir’s former party’s membership application ... Vietnam is 65th happiest country in the world: report ... Japan marks 28th anniversary of deadly sarin attack ... Seoul to build a second concert hall ... Fear of Malay Proclamation gathering is like being afraid of shadows, says Dr M ... Singapore first country in Asia to get new pneumococcal vaccine ... Japan, Britain, Italy vow cooperation on new fighter jet ... Credit Suisse’s trouble could trigger new global financial crisis ... SPOTLIGHT ON ASIA The Jakarta PostOnline evil: Indonesia’s cyberbullying problem China DailyChina’s ceramic surgeon fixes it The Korea HeraldAs crackdowns resume in S. Korea on illegals, immigration officers fear for safety The Japan NewsNewborn abandonment case in Japan highlights fears among foreign trainees The StatesmanIndia’s poor, vulnerable battling hunger exposed to unhealthy ultra-processed food The Nation7 in 10 out-of-school or unemployed Thai youths lack motivation to develop skills China Daily24 Solar Terms: Things you may not know about the Spring Equinox The Korea HeraldChatGPT sparks trend in publication and sales of related books DawnPredators in Pakistan’s workplace China DailyUnder pressure, Chinese chipmakers pull socks up The Nation‘Unfolding Bangkok’ illuminates city’s hidden beauty The Daily StarPolitical void in Punjab: Can a radical leader again ignite separatism? The NationMore than half of Gen Z in Asia are suffering from poor mental health The Korea HeraldKorean adoptees discover lost identities through language The StatesmanChatGPT vs Google: How do they compare? DawnIn pictures: International Women’s Day observed across world GO DEEPER WITH ANN Coming Soon ANN Newsletter Sign up here Follow us: