Singapore

‘Stress and hassle’: Travellers scramble for flights to Singapore after cancellations due to Indonesia volcano eruption

SINGAPORE: Indian national Avic Hal was travelling in Bali the past week, when his trip - quite literally - almost went up in smoke.

Banking

Bank Islam advises public to be vigilant of scams impersonating Al-Awfar and BIMB mobile app

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd has issued a reminder to the public to be extra vigilant of fraudulent short message service (SMS), WhatsApp messages, and social media accounts impersonating Bank Islam's Al-Awfar account and BIMB Mobile banking application.

Nation

Govt to curb online sale of drug-laced vapes and other banned items, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: Enforcement measures to curb the online sale of prohibited items, including drug-laced vape products, will be drawn up after discussions involving three key ministries, says government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Nation

Security in KL assured despite recent shooting incidents, says IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite two open shooting cases reported within four days in Brickfields and Cheras recently, police assure that the security level in the capital is still under control and peaceful.

Vietnam

HCM City sees a rise in dengue fever cases

HCM CITY: HCM City has recorded more than 8,500 cases of dengue fever so far this year, an increase of 131 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

Console

Microsoft working on next-gen Xbox video game console

Xbox president Sarah Bond on June 18 confirmed that her team is working on a new Xbox video game console.

Nation

Cops tracking down five who escaped from Jelebu drug rehab centre

SEREMBAN: Police are searching for five of six trainees who escaped from the Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre in Jelebu near here.

Nation

Former Senate deputy president pleads not guilty to 20 counts of bribery

SHAH ALAM: Former Senate deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad has pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court today to 20 bribery charges of accepting RM235,000 in cash and three luxury cars related to a Melaka land reclamation project.

Banking

RHB unveils new app featuring Malaysia’s first banking widget

KUALA LUMPUR: RHB Banking Group has launched its new RHB Mobile Banking App (MBK App), offering customers a faster, simpler, and more secure way to manage their everyday finances.

World

Boeing 787’s emergency-power system likely active before Air India crash, WSJ reports

(Reuters) -Investigators believe the Air India Boeing Dreamliner had its emergency-power generator operating when it crashed last week in India's Ahmedabad, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday citing people familiar with the probe.

Nation

All Malaysians to leave Iran by June 20, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians currently in Iran, including students, tourists and embassy personnel, are being assisted to leave the country by Friday, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Thailand

Thai exports soar most in three years as tariff talks begin

BANGKOK: Thailand's exports surged the most since early 2022 as companies rushed to stockpile goods while the Trump administration's planned tariffs are still on hold.

Technology

Energy majors lock onto Southeast Asia in race for more gas for AI power demand

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -Energy majors are pouring money into gas exploration and production in Malaysia and Indonesia to meet rising power demand from growing populations and a proliferation of data centres in the region.

Sabah & Sarawak

Minimal impact of Middle East conflict on Sarawak tourism, says minister

KUCHING: The impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East on Sarawak's tourism is expected to be minimal, according to Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

AseanPlus News

Australian mushroom murder suspect not on trial for lying: Defence

SYDNEY: An Australian woman accused of killing three lunch guests with deadly mushrooms should not be judged guilty just because she lied after the meal, her defence lawyer said Wednesday (June 18).

Nation

Counterfeit luxury goods worth RM400,000 seized in KL

KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has seized more than 15,000 pairs of counterfeit goods worth RM400,000 at a wholesale complex near Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman here.

Social media

Dutch government recommends children under 15 stay off TikTok and Instagram

The Dutch government advised parents on June 18 not to have children under 15 use social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, citing psychological and physical problems among children using them, including panic attacks, depression and difficulties sleeping.

Philippines

21 Philippine officials stuck in Israel to return to Manila by weekend

MANILA: The 21 Filipino government officials stranded in Israel are set to travel back home to the Philippines this weekend, said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Energy

Oil prices ease as Iran-Israel conflict enters sixth day

OIL prices eased in Asian trade on Wednesday, after a gain of 4% from the previous session, as markets weighed the chance of supply disruptions from the Iran-Israel conflict against a U.S. Federal Reserve rates decision that could weigh on oil demand.

Family

No summit is too high for this senior Malaysian mountaineer

RJ Nagarajan's story isn't about strength; it's about determination. This senior is redefining what is possible with grit and ambition.