World

Britain, under pressure on immigration, urges reform of European human rights framework

LONDON (Reuters) -Britain called on Wednesday for reform of the European Convention on Human Rights, amid growing domestic criticism that it allows a foreign-based court to meddle in sensitive areas of policy such as immigration and deportation rulings.

World

France aims to buy four Global Eye military aircraft, Sweden says

OSLO (Reuters) -France on Wednesday communicated its intent to acquire four Global Eye aircraft, Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said in a post on social media X.

World

Asian, Middle Eastern airlines dominate 2025 top 10 rankings

PARIS, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Airlines from Asia and the Middle East topped the 2025 Skytrax World Airline Awards announced Tuesday, with Qatar Airways named the world's best airline in this annual passenger-voted ranking.

World

China expands zero-tariff policy for least developed countries

GENEVA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- China has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its expanded zero-tariff policy for least developed countries (LDCs) that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing, raising product coverage from 98 percent to 100 percent.

AseanPlus News

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Wednesday (June 18, 2025)

Here's a look at the news highlights from Asean countries in the Star-AseanPlus section for Wednesday (June 18, 2025)

World

China allocates 60 mln yuan to aid flood relief efforts in Guangdong

BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The National Development and Reform Commission on Wednesday said that it has allocated 60 million yuan (about 8.36 million U.S. dollars) from China's central budget to bolster flood relief efforts in Guangdong Province.

Technology

US crypto stocks soar as Senate clears path for stablecoin regulation

(Reuters) -Top crypto stocks on Wall Street surged on Wednesday after the U.S. Senate approved a milestone stablecoin bill, fueling hopes for broader adoption of what was once a niche corner of the crypto sector.

World

Kyiv mourns as death toll from Russian strike climbs to 28

KYIV (Reuters) -Flags across Kyiv were lowered to half-mast on Wednesday, as Ukrainians mourned more than two dozen people killed a day earlier in Russia's deadliest strike on the capital this year.

Football

Soccer-Serie A chief blames illegal streaming for Italy's decline

(Reuters) -Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has pointed to illegal streaming and the resulting lack of TV revenue as a factor behind Italy's struggles to nurture homegrown talent as the Azzurri strive to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014.

Nation

BODY FOUND FLOATING IN RIVER NEAR KAMPUNG TUALANG TINGGI

KOTA BHARU: The body of a man was found floating in a river near Kampung Tualang Tinggi in Pasir Puteh on Wednesday (June 18).

Football

Soccer-South American clubs show promise but European dominance continues

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -Fluminense, Palmeiras, and Boca Juniors gave spirited performances in the opening days of the new-look Club World Cup in the United States, but Europe's 13-year dominance over South American clubs remains intact after a series of draws.

Laos

Laos warns of flood risk amid ongoing rainfall

VIENTIANE: (Bernama-Xinhua) The weather bureau of Laos has warned that continued rainfall in many parts of the country may cause floods and landslides, while water levels in rivers keep rising, Xinhua reported.

World

Austrian government agrees on plan to allow monitoring of secure messaging

VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria's coalition government has agreed on a plan to enable police to monitor suspects' secure messaging in order to thwart militant attacks, ending what security officials have said is a rare and dangerous blind spot for a European Union country.

Philippines

No issue with House refusal of Sara Duterte lawyers’ papers, says prosecution spokesman

MANILA: The House of Representatives' decision not to receive the entry of appearance made by Vice President Sara Duterte's lawyers for the impeachment trial should not result in any issue, prosecution spokesman Antonio Bucoy said.

Technology

Zoox launches its first robotaxi production facility, taking on Tesla and Waymo

(Reuters) -Amazon's Zoox has opened its first robotaxi serial production facility, it said on Wednesday, marking a crucial step towards launching a commercial robotaxi service that will compete with Alphabet's Waymo and Tesla. Zoox is testing in various U.S. cities with more than 20 vehicles and plans to launch the commercial services in Las Vegas this year, followed by San Francisco, where it seeks to expand areas of operation.

Other Sports

Alpine skiing-Hirscher cleared for another World Cup comeback at 36

(Reuters) -Alpine ski great Marcel Hirscher could be on for an Olympic comeback at the age of 36 after being cleared to return to the World Cup as a wildcard following his recovery from a serious knee injury.

Sabah & Sarawak

'Whistleblower' in Sabah mining scandal not protected because they were part of the wrongdoing, says MACC

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that the individual set to be charged alongside two Sabah assemblymen in connection with a corruption case involving mineral mining licences is not protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010.

World

Big blow for Thailand's PM as major party exits coalition

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party on Wednesday withdrew from Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government in a major blow to the embattled premier, leaving her ruling coalition with only a slim majority. 

Hockey

Hockey: Luck just wasn’t on Speedy Tigers’ side, says Sarjit

BUKIT JALIL: National hockey team head coach Sarjit Singh believes luck just wasn't on their side to make it into the Nations Cup semi-finals.

Indonesia

Indonesian minister faces backlash after calling 1998 mass rape a ‘rumour’

JAKARTA: Indonesia's Cultural Affairs Minister Fadli Zon, already under fire for his initiative to rewrite Indonesian history, is facing a renewed public backlash for downplaying the well-documented mass rapes of Indonesians of Chinese descent during the May 1998 protests and riots that led to the fall of then-president Suharto.