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Nation

Anwar to make important announcements on Aug 30, Sept 16

KLANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make several important announcements, including one on the eve of National Day on Aug 30 and another during Malaysia Day celebrations on Sept 16.

Nation

Kedah MB's ex-political secretary ordered to enter defence in bribery case

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sessions Court has ordered Mohamad Hilmi Abdul Wahab, the former political secretary to the Kedah Mentri Besar, to enter his defence on two charges of soliciting and accepting bribes in connection with rare earth element (REE) mining projects.

Indonesia

'It is tough': Indonesia battles wildfires, bracing for worse to come

JAKARTA: Smog is choking parts of Indonesia's Borneo, home to pristine rainforest and vast plantations, but the worst is yet to come, officials and experts warned Thursday (Aug 20).

AseanPlus News

China becomes first nation to recover orbital launch rockets with two distinct paths

Zhuque-3 reaches orbit and has its first stage recovered, pulling off a dual-track strategy even the US has yet to execute

Nation

SC wins suit, five individuals ordered to pay RM103.75mil

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has ruled that the Securities Commission (SC) successfully proved its case against five individuals for perpetrating a scheme to defraud and causing wrongful losses to four public-listed companies totalling RM120.6mil.

Nation

Ex-1MDB CEO doesn't know why allegations in separate suit changed, court hears

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) chief executive officer Datuk Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi told the High Court that he did not know why allegations made against him by the company in a separate suit filed in August 2021 had changed.

Nation

Muslims' faith makes them more averse to corruption, claims Hadi

PETALING JAYA: Muslims are less likely to engage in corruption compared to those of other faiths because they believe they are accountable before God, suggests Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Entertainment

Singaporean celebs Elvin Ng and Lee Teng post painful goodbyes to their late dogs

Ng and Lee Teng both reflected on years of companionship and the difficult circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Forex

Ringgit stays bullish vs US dollar at close as US debt weighs on greenback

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit continued its bullish momentum to close higher against the US dollar on Thursday, as the US national debt, which surpassed US$40 trillion for the first time, weighed on the greenback.

Vietnam

Vietnam coach Kim seeks quick recovery ahead of Asean Hyundai Cup final clash against Thailand

Vietnam coach Kim Sang-sik will give his players two days off to prepare for Saturday's first leg of the Asean Hyundai Cup 2026 final against Thailand.

Nation

CAAM tightens drug, alcohol screening for aviation personnel

KUALA LUMPUR: The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has introduced stricter regulatory measures to strengthen fitness-for-duty requirements and prevent alcohol and drug misuse among aviation personnel performing safety-critical functions.

Metro News

Single Malaysian Chinese man who fostered three Muslim brothers appointed OrphanCare advocate

A 58-year-old Malaysian Chinese bachelor who fostered three Muslim brothers has been appointed OrphanCare Foundation's (OCF) advocate.

Sri Lanka

‘Worst’ ever El Nino to bring heavy rains, drought to Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: Heavy rains and severe drought are likely to hit Sri Lanka in the coming months as the largely agricultural nation faces its "worst" ever El Nino climate phenomenon, the environment minister said on Thursday (Aug 20).

World

Sri Lankan government delivers water to nearly 72,000 people suffering drought

COLOMBO, Aug 20 (Reuters) - ⁠Sri Lanka's government has arranged for water to be delivered to ⁠nearly 72,000 people across seven districts as the country tackles ‌a drought linked to this year's severe El Niño, a senior official said on Thursday.

Markets

FBM KLCI to expand to 50 stocks in first major revamp since 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia Bhd and FTSE Russell will expand the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) to 50 constituents from 30 currently, as part of changes aimed at better reflecting the growth and diversification of the Malaysian equity market.

India

Municipal leader in India's Madhya Pradesh dresses up as dog to allege corruption in dog sterilisation

NEW DELHI: Alleging corruption in the name of dog sterilisation, the Leader of the Opposition in the Khandwa Municipal Corporation of Madhya Pradesh dressed up as a dog and went to a public hearing to demand a thorough probe into his allegations.

China

China says 'firmly opposes' Trump drone tariffs

BEIJING: China said on Thursday (Aug 20) it "firmly opposes" new US tariffs on imports of unmanned drones and their components, after Donald Trump announced duties of up to 100 percent last week.

AseanPlus News

A super double from the brilliant Xuan Son takes Vietnam into the Asean Hyundai 2026 final against Thailand

Vietnam will face Thailand in the final, with Nguyễn Xuân Son scoring twice to earn his side a 2-0 victory over Malaysia in the second-leg semi-final in Hanoi.

AseanPlus News

Chinese national Jianfei Lu sentenced to 15 years in US$92mil drug money scheme

The 31-year-old previously pleaded guilty to role in laundering illicit funds for outfit with ties to Mexican cartels

Climate

Tiny light, big dream: Harvesting power from soil in Japan

Glinting in the night, halfway up a hill in Japan, the greenhouse-like 'Ku-An' test lab is lit by electricity harnessed from 1,500 wooden boxes of soil and compost.