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Nation

Besut sword murder: Appeals court upholds 36-year jail term, 12 whipping on five men

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal on Monday (June 8) upheld the 36-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane imposed on five men, including two sets of brothers, for the murder of a man who was slashed with a sword.

Nation

Teacher pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting six female students

KLANG: A teacher has pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to 14 charges of sexually assaulting six 15-year-old female students at a secondary school in Sabak Bernam.

Indonesia

Plan to introduce French lessons in Indonesia draws support, doubt

JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto's push to introduce French lessons in Indonesian schools was welcomed by some parents but drew criticism from education watchdogs who questioned the readiness to expand foreign language education amid persisting issues in the education sector.

Business

Moody’s: South, Southeast Asia credit outlook stable despite US dollar strength

KUALA LUMPUR: Overall credit strength across South and Southeast Asia will remain stable over the next 12-18 months, although US dollar strength would weigh on the credit quality for a subset of rated companies with structural currency mismatches, according to Moody's Ratings.

Nation

Russia planning visa-free travel for Malaysians in 2026

ST. PETERSBURG: Russia is aiming to abolish visa requirements for citizens of Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait this year, says Nikita Kondratyev, the director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Nation

MACC personnel must declare assets within one month, says MACC chief

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman, has required all agency personnel to submit or update their asset declarations within one month of receiving an official notification, which will be issued at a later date.

World

UN urges Afghan Taliban to end arrests of women over dress rules

KABUL, June 8 (Reuters) - The United ⁠Nations mission in Afghanistan has expressed concern over the arrest and ⁠detention of women in a western province for allegedly failing to comply ‌with "dress requirements" and urged Taliban authorities to treat all people equally.

Nation

Sg Petani fatal crash: Investigation ongoing, Transport Ministry giving space to authorities

GEORGE TOWN: The authorities have been given space to conduct the investigation into the tragic accident that claimed six lives in Sungai Petani, said Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.

Markets

South Korea's KOSPI craters over 8% as Fed fears spark tech rout

SEOUL: South Korea's stock benchmark plunged over 8% on Monday, tripping circuit breakers, after robust U.S. jobs data lifted bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike and unleashed a selloff in the tech-heavy market that had powered the broader AI rally.

Thailand

Anutin arrives in Hanoi to advance Thai-Vietnam trade, investment and Asean cooperation

HANOI: Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived in Hanoi on Monday (June 8) or an official visit aimed at strengthening Thailand–Vietnam cooperation across the economy, trade, investment and regional affairs.

Nation

Anwar's Japan visit to advance cooperation in economy, science, technology, says ambassador

TOKYO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Japan is expected to provide strategic opportunities for Malaysia to expand cooperation in the fields of the economy, science and technology, as well as capacity building.

World

Latvia's military issues alert over drone incursion

RIGA, June ⁠8 (Reuters) - Latvia's armed forces ⁠on Monday issued an air ‌threat alert for its eastern regions bordering Russia and Belarus, asking people ​there to stay ⁠indoors.

World

UK PM Starmer set to ban 'harmful' social media for under-16s

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - British Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a ban on "harmful" online ⁠platforms for children under 16 while maintaining access to some safer ‌forms of social media, the Times newspaper reported on Monday.

Nation

Five Indonesians charged with human smuggling over boat capsize that killed 16

MANJUNG: Five Indonesian men have been charged at the Sessions Court here with smuggling 18 Indonesian migrants in a boat that capsized off Pulau Pangkor in May 2026, which led to the loss of 16 lives.

World

Analysis-Businesses fear for economy if Swiss vote to cap population at 10 million

ZURICH, June 8 (Reuters) - Switzerland goes to the polls on ⁠June 14 to vote on whether to cap its population at 10 million people in a referendum some have likened to a "Swiss Brexit", alarming many businesses who fear an economic blow should the ⁠proposal succeed.

Nation

Mindanao hit by fifth in a series of quakes

KUALA LUMPUR: A fifth earthquake, a moderate magnitude of 5.3, struck Mindanao, the Philippines, at 1.12pm on Monday (June 8), according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

Commodities

Gold extends losses on US interest rate-hike fears

Gold prices extended losses on Monday on rising fears of a U.S. rate hike after a strong jobs report, while renewed hostilities in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher and fanned inflation concerns.

Nation

Woman fined RM2,800 for possessing intimate videos of ex-husband and his lover

MELAKA: A 25-year-old factory worker has been fined RM2,800 by the Magistrate's Court in Ayer Keroh here for possessing and disseminating intimate videos of her ex-husband and another woman.

India

Suthar takes six wickets on debut as India make Afghanistan follow on

Debutant spinner Manav Suthar took six wickets as India bowled out Afghanistan for 152 and enforced the follow-on on day three of the one-off Test on Monday.

Pakistan

Clashes between protesters and police kill seven in Pakistan-administered Kashmir

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: Seven people were killed and dozens wounded in clashes between police and members of a banned activist group in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, officials said on Monday (June 8).