Markets

FBM KLCI succumbs to profit-taking at midday

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI lost its earlier momentum and turned into the red as regional markets wobbled, even as traders held on to hope there would be a breakthough in the Middle East conflict.

Philippines

Lawmakers resume probe into Sara Duterte impeachment complaints

MANILA: Impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte continued on Wednesday (April 22) with lawmakers expected to scrutinise her financial records as part of an inquiry into the complaints that may weigh on her political ambitions

Indonesia

Indonesia in talks to export fertiliser to India, Brazil, Thailand, Philippines

JAKARTA: Indonesia is in talks to export 1 million tons of fertiliser to India, the Philippines, Thailand, and Brazil, its cabinet secretary said.

Singapore

Why are people betting thousands of dollars on how hot it will be in Singapore?

SINGAPORE: On prediction market Polymarket, hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake in bets on what the highest temperature will be in Singapore on any given day.

Technology

Australian social media ban marred by weak platform checks, tech providers say

SYDNEY, April 22 (Reuters) - Problems enforcing Australia's ⁠teen social media ban reflect social media platforms' weak deployment of tools available ⁠to run age checks rather than the limits of the technology, an industry ‌body representing the tech suppliers said.

Thailand

Interior orders tougher border safeguards as Myanmar fighting nears four northern provinces

BANGKOK: The Thai Interior Ministry has ordered authorities in four northern border provinces to tighten security and emergency preparedness as fighting inside Myanmar escalates and edges closer to the Thai frontier.

Laos

Laos records road deaths drop during new year celebrations

VIENTIANE: Twenty-three deaths due to road accidents were recorded across Laos during the 2026 Lao New Year celebrations from April 12 to 18, a decrease from the 26 fatalities reported in the same period last year, Lao News Agency said on Wednesday (April 22).

Living

How tapioca saved many Malaysians during the Japanese occupation of Malaya

Elderly Malaysians recount how pivotal tapioca was to their survival during World War II.

South Korea

New ‘Korea Museum’ in Seoul packed with Chinese artefacts sparks backlash

SEOUL: A new museum set to open in Seoul's Eunpyeong-gu came under fire after advertising itself as the "Korea Museum" despite prominently featuring Chinese artefacts.

South Korea

[ANN Exclusive] From the king’s road to the royal kitchens: South Korea’s soft power on a plate

SEOUL: It's a crisp spring night in Seoul, and a lively stretch of Donhwamun-ro – historically known as the "king's road" leading to Changdeokgung Palace – is awash in neon lights.

Japan

Body found after bear attack, possibly Japan’s first such death in 2026

MORIOKA: The body of a woman was found in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate on Tuesday (April 21) after a police officer was injured in a nearby bear attack, police said, Kyodo News Agency reported.

Cambodia

Fourth human bird flu case confirmed in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH: A 66-year-old woman from South-east Cambodia's Svay Rieng province had been confirmed positive for H5N1 human avian influenza, becoming the fourth case in 2026, the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Wednesday (April 22)

Vietnam

Australian veteran’s son returns diary of Vietnamese martyr

SYDNEY: Glenn Mathews, an Australian citizen living in Canberra and the son of an Australian veteran who served during the war in Vietnam, on Monday (April 20) visited the Embassy of Vietnam in Australia to return the diary of Vietnamese martyr Vo Van Cong. The diary was found by his father in 1968

Markets

Japan's Nikkei rises to record high on tech boost

TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei share average hit a record high on Wednesday, supported by a handful of heavily weighted tech stocks such as SoftBank Group, though uncertainty over U.S.-Iran peace talks tempered sentiment.

Malaysia

Amal by Malaysia Airlines to operate 110 flights for 2026 haj season

The haj and umrah pilgrimage arm of Malaysia Aviation Group will be operating the flights in two phases.

China

Hong Kong government seeks to seize US$16mil from jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai

HONG KONG: The Hong Kong government is attempting to seize more than HK$127 million (US$16.22 million) from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai after the city's biggest national security case, according to a court document released on Tuesday (April 21).

Thailand

Ex-abbot of Thai temple jailed 50 years over 2bil baht embezzlement scandal linked to online gambling network

BANGKOK: A Thai court has sentenced a former abbot of Wat Rai Khing to 50 years in prison after finding him guilty in a major embezzlement case involving more than two billion baht (US$62.14 million) in temple funds, with money trails linked to online gambling networks and close associates.

Nation

Jupem DG pleads not guilty in RM136,000 corruption case

KUALA LUMPUR: The director-general of the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia Datuk Hazri Hassan has been charged at the Sessions Court with two counts of graft involving more than RM130,000 in funds from the Land Surveyors Board.

Technology

Australia asks Roblox, Minecraft to detail child safety measures

SYDNEY, April 22 (Reuters) - Australia's ⁠internet regulator on Wednesday asked online gaming platforms including Roblox and Microsoft's Minecraft to spell ⁠out how they protect children from grooming by sexual predators and shield young users from ‌radicalisation.

Singapore

Singapore students join migrant workers for annual beach clean-up

SINGAPORE: Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West student Nur Shafiqah Muhammad Hafidz had a memorable encounter with a migrant worker during a beach clean-up in April 2025.