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.

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.

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.

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.

Sabah & Sarawak

Sabah-China relations set to strengthen, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: The strategic relationship between Sabah and China is set to grow stronger with ongoing diplomatic and development partnerships, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Nation

Penang extends 5% discount on overhang properties to all buyers

GEORGE TOWN: The 5% housing discount for first-time house buyers, which was earlier given to Indian Muslims, has been extended to all, says Chow Kon Yeow.

Entertainment

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton to receive honorary Oscars

The honorees will receive their Oscar statuettes at the annual Governors Awards gala in November.

South Korea

Man booked for using electric shock to kill 120 dogs in South Korea

SEOUL: Police in North Jeolla Province said Wednesday (June 18) that they have booked a man in his 60s without detention on suspicion of slaughtering some 120 dogs at his farm in Gunsan.

Nation

Kedah MMEA detains two unlicensed, overloaded tourist boats off Langkawi

ALOR SETAR: The Kedah Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained two tourist boats in Langkawi waters on Tuesday (June 17) for carrying passengers beyond the permitted limit.

Technology

BOK chief says he is not against won-based stablecoins but has forex concerns

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea's central bank governor said on Wednesday he was not against issuing won-denominated stablecoins but had concerns about managing capital flows.

Family

Study: Children of divorce earn less, at risk of teen births and jail

Families after divorce also tend to move to neighbourhoods with lower incomes that offer reduced economic opportunities, and children are farther away from their non-custodial parent.

Internet

Is brain rot real? Here's what brain health experts say

Last year, Oxford University Press designated "brain rot" as its word of the year, defining it as the "supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state" caused by overconsuming "trivial or unchallenging" material found on social media and other online platforms.