Leave boring behind at Hotel Jen's two Singaporean getaways

Hotel Jen Tanglin's ideal location, spice garden, on-the-go cafes and playful decor set it miles apart from Singapore's myriad hotels.

Putin, Orban to discuss sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in Budapest on Thursday to cement closer ties with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, amid growing EU rifts over sanctions against Moscow.

India unveils budget for recovery, and the poor

India unveiled a budget on Wednesday to help the poor with hikes in government spending and cuts in taxes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to win back the sympathy of voters hit hard by his recent crackdown on "black money".

Swedish warship discovered 400 years after it went missing

A warship has been found in southern Sweden some 400 years after it went missing, Swedish Television reported on Wednesday. The Blekinge naval ship was the first to set sail from the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden in 1682 and is considered to have marked the launch of Karlskrona's famed shipbuilding history.

More than 100 injured, 3 missing in blaze at Philippines factory complex

More than 100 workers, including three Japanese, were injured and at least three were missing in a fire that hit a huge factory south of Manila and sent thousands of employees running to safety, an official said Thursday.

Tillerson approved; other battles loom

President Donald Trump notched a victory on Wednesday with Rex Tillerson anointed as his secretary of state, but opposition Democrats girded for battle over other nominations, including his US Supreme Court pick.

Australian PM refuses to comment on report of terse call with US president

Australia's prime minister said his country's relationship with the United States remained "very strong" and refused to comment on a newspaper report on Thursday that an angry President Donald Trump cut short their first telephone call as national leaders.

Court rejects 'right to be forgotten'

Japan's Supreme Court has rejected a man's demand that news search results of his arrest on sex charges be deleted from Google, ruling that to do so would violate freedom of expression.

Romanians rally against decree in biggest anti-graft protest in decades

More than 250,000 Romanians demonstrated on Wednesday against a government decree decriminalizing some graft offences, seen as the biggest retreat on reforms since the country joined the European Union in 2007.

British MPs approve first stage of Brexit bill

British MPs on Wednesday approved the first stage of a bill empowering Prime Minister Theresa May to start pulling Britain out of the European Union.

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Winter wonderlands around the world

The cold, bitter wind and a drop in temperature do not prevent people from having fun in a world of ice and snow. People from China's Northeast jump in front of a rooster-shaped snow sculpture. A runner in Russia has his face covered with frost. A man swims in the freezing water of the Fountain of Warsaw in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The frozen fairy fountain in Italy touches everyone's heart. Or, for those of us at home and on a budget, you can simply dress up your dog and go for a walk.