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Markets

Bursa Malaysia gets lift from Wall St rally, YTL shares jump

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian blue chips rose on Thursday, tracking Wall Street equities that were lifted overnight by the US government's planned buyback of long-term Treasuries to bolster market liquidity.

Singapore

Singapore's cross-border Causeway Link buses from Newton, Queen Street to go cashless from Aug 20

SINGAPORE: Commuters travelling to Malaysia from Newton and Queen Street will no longer be able to pay in cash on board Causeway Link buses from Aug 20.

Philippines

After Philippines school shooting, debate shifts to social media, gun safety

MANILA: Philippine authorities were trying to understand how a student whom teachers described as academically strong livestreamed carrying out a fatal shooting at his school before turning the gun on himself, as lawmakers debate measures ranging from social media curbs to tighter firearm regulations.

Nation

Investigation papers on fatal immigration lorry crash submitted to AGC

KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation papers into a fatal accident involving an Immigration Department lorry and four pedestrians have been referred to the prosecution for further instructions.

Nation

Death of Rocky: No signs of gathering at court complex, situation calm

KLANG: There was no sign of any gathering or protest at the Sessions Court here Thursday (Aug 20) morning as proceedings related to the death of a dog named Rocky were set to take place.

Entertainment

TVB actor Dai Yiu Ming buys first home for elderly mum after years of hard work

Although the purchase was 'very expensive', the Hong Kong star has no regrets.

Forex

Ringgit gains as US debt weighs on greenback, easing rate hike expectations

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar on Thursday as concerns over the rising US government debt weighed on the greenback, dimming expectations of a US interest rate hike, an economist said.

Commodities

Oil nears four-week high as Mideast tensions rise

Crude oil prices rose on Wednesday and settled at the highest in nearly four weeks, as investors worried about escalating tensions in the Middle East after the United Arab Emirates decided to suspend all financial and economic transactions with Iran, and as ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained slow.

Vietnam

Ex-politician spared charges in crash that killed teen

A former politician unintentio­nally killed a teenager in a traffic accident in central Hanoi last year but was exempted from criminal prosecution, a police officer told state television.

China

Space start-up lands rocket booster

A space start-up recovered the first stage of a rocket on land, hailed by state media as a first for the country and a "breakthrough" in its reusable spacecraft techno­logy.

India

Hotel blaze in West Bengal kills at least nine

A fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, killing at least nine people and injuring six in the capital of India's West Bengal state, police said.

Pakistan

Govt contests hospital move order

THE government will challenge the Supreme Court's order to move jailed former prime minister Imran Khan (pic) to a private hospital for medical checks, the law minister said.

Indonesia

Authorities seizes 2.6 tonnes of meth in major bust

Authorities seized 2.6 tonnes of liquid methamphetamine hidden on a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in one of the country's biggest drug busts, with 10 crew members arrested, a senior narcotics official said.

Indonesia

War drills cut short after Trump order

Annual war games between South Korea and the United States will end around a week earlier than planned, both countries said, after US President Donald Trump ordered the "inappropriate and hostile" drills scaled back.

Japan

Tokyo opposes US sanctions on ICC chief Akane

Tokyo objected to sanctions imposed by the United States against International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane (pic) of Japan, calling Washington's latest salvo against the institution "very unfortunate".

Indonesia

Quake-hit streets ease back into business

GROCERY stores, gas stations and other shops reopened, four days after a powerful earthquake killed at least 70 people, injured nearly 1,200 others and damaged thousands of homes.

Sabah & Sarawak

Parts of Sarawak hit by haze

KUCHING: Hazy conditions returned to parts of Sarawak after rainfall last weekend brought some relief.

Thailand

Schools hold drills after deadly shooting

SCHOOLS conducted active shooter drills as authorities moved to strengthen security measures two weeks after a 14-year-old opened fire at a school and killed at least eight people.

Nation

‘Hybrid tax won’t fix SST issues’

PETALING JAYA: Putrajaya should not combine elements of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) with the Sales and Service Tax (SST) into a hybrid system as it will not address the fundamental weakness of SST, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Nation

‘PM has no power to order awards for projects’

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court was told that the Prime Minister has no power to decide whether a government project should be awarded through pre-qualification or direct negotiations.