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Japan

Three arrested in Japan over suitcases stuffed with hermit crabs

TOKYO: Three Chinese men were arrested in Japan after their rustling suitcases alerted hotel staff to the thousands of protected hermit crabs inside, police said on Thursday (May 8).

Nation

PKR polls: Eleven names officially entered for party veep posts

PETALING JAYA: Eleven names have officially entered the race for four PKR vice-presidency posts on Friday (May 9), signalling a potentially competitive contest in the party's upcoming internal election slated for May 21.

AseanPlus News

Asian stocks lifted by hopes for US-China talks after UK deal

HONG KONG: Most Asian equities rose Friday (May 9) on growing optimism that the worst of Donald Trump's trade war is past after he reached a deal with Britain and suggested he could lower tariffs on China as officials prepare for high-stakes talks this weekend.

Sabah & Sarawak

Sabah polls: Pakatan and Barisan join forces

KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional have agreed to work together in the upcoming Sabah state election.

South Korea

Time running out for S. Korea’s ruling party to finalise its candidate for presidential polls

SEOUL: As the clock ticks down to May 11 when candidates will have to register for South Korea's snap presidential election, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) is still mired in infighting over who would be its final nominee.

Markets

Japanese stocks jump, dollar firms on trade hopes; bitcoin soars

TOKYO: Japanese stocks jumped on Friday, supported by the dollar's surge against the yen, after a U.S. trade deal with Britain fuelled hopes of progress in tariff talks with other countries.

Singapore

Singapore’s Catholic archdiocese celebrates election of new pope, Leo XIV

SINGAPORE: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore said it rejoices at the election of the new pope, and called on Catholics to pray for the newly elected pontiff.

India

India-Pakistan tit for tat attacks continue as conflict escalates

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has rejected allegations that it was behind a series of reported airstrikes on Indian territory after India's Defence Ministry accused it of launching missile and drone attacks.

Pakistan

India-Pakistan conflict: Nervous calm as Pakistan fears war within days

KARACHI: There is a deceptive calm in Pakistan's main cities. Even as 25 Indian drones penetrated deep into Pakistan's airspace in the early morning of May 8 – reaching as far as the country's economic capital, Karachi – daily life in major urban centres remained largely unaffected.

Nation

Anwar congratulates Catholics worldwide on Pope Leo's election

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated the Catholic faithful around the world and in Malaysia on the election of the new pope.

Forex

Ringgit higher against US$ on US trade talks optimism

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar, supported by positive sentiment following developments in trade tariffs between key global economies, including China and the United Kingdom (UK), said an economist.

Markets

Rally lifts local stocks as US, UK reach tariffs deal

KUALA LUMPUR: Optimism over easing trade tensions helped to lift Bursa Malaysia stocks, but the main index remained capped by the 1,550 psychological resistance as the weekend approached.

Nation

Food security game-changer: Malaysia entering cultured meat revolution

KUALA LUMPUR: Scientist Dr Mohamad Hafizi Abu Bakar poked suspiciously at the shiny light brown substance on the plate.

Boxing

Boxing-Pacquiao to come out of retirement for title shot, according to ESPN

(Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas, ESPN reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Banking

Singapore's OCBC maintains 2025 guidance despite challenging outlook

SINGAPORE: Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC), Singapore's second largest bank, maintained 2025 guidance and set aside credit allowances, citing a challenging economic outlook after posting on Friday a 5% drop in first-quarter net profit that beat expectations.

Nation

Two Home Ministry officers held over graft

PETALING JAYA: Two Home Ministry officers have been arrested over a corruption case linked to the expedited processing of citizenship confirmation applications.

Nation

Police exploring staged abduction theory

KUALA LUMPUR: The police are not ruling out the possibility that Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh staged her abduction.

Vietnam

Cleaning up a toxic legacy

The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago, but the battle with Agent Orange continues.

Indonesia

11 kindergarten teachers killed in funeral-bound minibus crash

A lorry crashed into a minibus on a downhill road in Indonesia's Central Java province, killing 11 people, all of them kindergarten teachers, officials said.

AseanPlus News

Airline sorry after toddler served white wine on flight

A three-year-old boy was mistakenly served a glass of white wine on a Cathay Pacific flight on the night of April 24, prompting his parents to share the incident on social media.