Living

Britain's sunniest spring yields unusually sweet strawberries

British strawberry farmers say this year's record-breaking spring sunshine and warm days have yielded the cream of the crop, with a bigger and sweeter harvest than usual.

Markets

FBM KLCI ends flat at midday in range-bound trading

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia was range-bound in the early session with the benchmark index entering the lunch break little changed from the previous day's close.

World

Many flights to Indonesia's Bali cancelled after volcano eruption

JAKARTA (Reuters) -More than 20 flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled or delayed and three airports in East Nusa Tenggara province were closed due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said on Wednesday.

Philippines

More Filipinos turning to AI as source of news: Report

MANILA: Apart from the rise of content generated by artificial intelligence, several Filipinos have also begun turning to AI chatbots to get their news, based on the findings of an international research publication.

Social media

Meta makes a home on Threads for ‘fediverse’ posts

Meta on July 17 gave posts from apps or servers synched to the "fediverse" a dedicated feed at Threads, its challenge to the X platform originally known as Twitter.

Motorsport

Motor Racing-Kubica happy to silence doubters with Le Mans win

(Reuters) -Robert Kubica said his triumph at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, 14 years after a near-fatal rally crash that partially severed his right forearm, should erase any doubts about his capacity to compete in motor racing.

Economy

Singapore MAS survey shows economists cut GDP, inflation forecasts and see more easing

SINGAPORE: Economists have lowered their forecasts for Singapore's growth and inflation this year and are expecting a further easing of monetary policy next month, a survey of forecasters by the Monetary Authority of Singapore showed on Wednesday.

Sabah & Sarawak

S'wak GOF seizes e-waste worth nearly RM20mil

KUCHING: The Sarawak Brigade General Operations Force (GOF) has seized electronic waste (e-waste) worth almost RM20mil in six raids conducted during an integrated operation with other enforcement agencies.

Nation

Woman allegedly beaten by employer in Masai had other health issues, say cops

JOHOR BAHRU: A woman who was claims she was beaten by her employer in Taman Kota Masai, Pasir Gudang here showed signs of minor injuries but had other health issues not related to the incident, say police.

World

India's Modi tells Trump there was no US mediation in ceasefire with Pakistan

NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi told U.S. President Donald Trump late on Tuesday that a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a four-day conflict in May was achieved through talks between the two militaries and not U.S. mediation, India's senior-most diplomat said.

Nation

Melaka temple chairman and secretary remanded in embezzlement probe

MELAKA: The chairman and secretary of a temple association have been remanded for six days until Monday (June 23) to assist in an investigation of the embezzlement of RM50,000 last year.

Nation

Johor-Singapore SEZ draws Japanese investor attention

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Japanese investors have expressed keen interest in investing in Johor, particularly in sectors such as finance and technology.

Philippines

Philippines to implement framework on crypto assets to combat cross-border tax evasion

MANILA: The Philippines' Department of Finance (DOF) has said the country will implement a framework on crypto-assets to combat cross-border tax evasion and illicit financial flows.

Laos

Laos and Thailand join forces to curb drug trafficking

VIENTIANE: Top military and border security officials from Laos and Thailand have reaffirmed their commitment to joint efforts in combating drug trafficking and maintaining peace along theirshared border.

Nation

PM prays for Abdul Hadi's continuous good health

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has prayed for PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to be blessed with continuous good health.

Mobile apps

Iran asks its people to delete WhatsApp from their devices

Iranian state television on July 17 urged people to remove WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging without specific evidence that the messaging app gathered user information to send to Israel.

Entertainment

Al Pacino becomes first Hollywood star to meet Pope Leo XIV

In Italy for production of an upcoming film about the Maserati auto empire, Pacino had an official audience with the new American pontiff at the Vatican on Monday.

Brunei

Brunei forest, reef conservation needs shared responsibility: Minister

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Protecting Brunei forests and reefs is not the task for the government alone but a shared mission that requires every one of us to act now, said a Brunei government minister on Tuesday (June 17).

Football

Soccer-Sundowns get the better of Ulsan in battle of the outsiders

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) -Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD had targeted their Group F opener as their best chance to get a win on the board at the Club World Cup, with Brazil's Fluminense and German side Borussia Dortmund expected to advance from Group F.

Sabah & Sarawak

Video clip case: MACC finalising warrants, court dates to charge trio, including two assemblymen

KOTA KINABALU: Two Sabah assemblymen are among three people awaiting the Special Corruption Court's decision on a charge date in the mining prospecting case.