Sabah & Sarawak

King extends personal contribution to Sandakan fire victims

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has graciously extended a personal contribution to assist families affected by the fire tragedy in Kampung Bahagia, Sandakan.

Nation

Sarawak Customs seizes almost RM2mil worth of contraband in Bintulu warehouse

BINTULU: The Customs Department has seized almost RM2mil worth of contraband cigarettes and liquor during a raid on a warehouse here.

AseanPlus News

It's back - Fifth Celebrity Charity Golf returns and calls for corporate support to help struggling artistes

Karyawan continues its commitment to advocating for the welfare of local artistes through the organisation of the fifth Celebrity Charity Golf on May 10.

Philippines

Calapan City in Philippines hits 42°C ‘danger’ heat index; residents warned

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro: The city's disaster risk reduction and management office (DRRMO) on Wednesday (April 22) warned residents of dangerous heat levels after the heat index reached 42 degrees Celsius late morning.

Japan

China, South Korea object to Japanese PM Takaichi’s ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO: A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Tuesday (April 21) objected to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine, saying that China "firmly opposes and strongly condemns" her actions.

China

Beijing announces China FM Wang Yi to visit Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar

BEIJING: Beijing said on Tuesday (April 21) that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will travel to Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar from Wednesday through Sunday, with Cambodia expected to feature prominently on the trip through a new high-level security and diplomatic format.

Nation

Perak confident in drawing investors despite BYD uncertainty, says MB

IPOH: Although the state is disappointed regarding Chinese EV manufacturer BYD, it hopes the issue will not discourage other investors, says Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

Banking

Indonesia's central bank holds rates unchanged as expected

JAKARTA: Indonesia's central bank kept policy rates unchanged on Wednesday to anchor the rupiah's stability amid the war in Iran, as expected, with the currency already hitting record lows multiple times this month.

Football

Soccer-Bellingham buys minority stakes in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix

April 22 (Reuters) - ⁠England international Jude Bellingham has acquired ⁠a minority stake in The ‌Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix, co-owners Warwickshire County Cricket Club said on Wednesday.

AseanPlus News

Fiji villagers reject Australian's plan for 'Pacific ashtray' in beach paradise

SYDNEY: An Australian billionaire's plan to burn rubbish for energy in Fiji amounts to "waste colonialism" and risks spoiling a "beach paradise", villagers and the Pacific nation's UN ambassador said.

Sabah & Sarawak

Nadma calls for disaster coordination

KOTA KINABALU: The National Disaster Management Agency says disaster response and management require continued coordination among agencies, academics, security forces and the public.

North Korea

North Korean hackers suspected of US$300mil crypto heist

SEOUL: A notorious North Korean hacking group is likely behind the theft of nearly US$300 million in cryptocurrency over the weekend, an affected party has said, in the biggest known crypto heist this year.

China

Climbing lamp posts cross-legged challenge goes viral in China with players often needing rescue

BEIJING: A Chinese woman who tried to copy a recently viral lamp post climbing challenge got herself stuck and had to call the police to rescue her.

Markets

Japan's Nikkei rises to record closing high on tech boost

TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei share average rose for a third consecutive session and hit a record closing high on Wednesday, supported by heavily weighted tech stocks, though uncertainty over U.S.-Iran peace talks tempered sentiment.

Brunei

Suspect linked to impersonation scam syndicate arrested in Brunei

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) arrested a suspect believed to be involved in an impersonation scam syndicate, following information received from the public during an operation yesterday morning by the Brunei-Muara Police District in collaboration with the Cyber Crime Investigation Division (CCID) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Other Sports

Mexico pledges World Cup safety after shooting at ancient pyramids

MEXICO CITY, April ⁠21 (Reuters) - Top Mexican officials on Tuesday vowed to ensure safety ahead of the World Cup soccer matches following a shooting at ⁠the famed Teotihuacan pyramids that killed a Canadian tourist, and said the gunman appeared to have been influenced by violent ‌incidents abroad.

Singapore

Man convicted of human trafficking in Singapore after recruiting woman for sexual exploitation in Dubai

SINGAPORE: A man who promised to marry a Singaporean woman, only to make her perform sex work in Dubai later, has been convicted of human trafficking.

Entertainment

Donny and Marie's brother Alan Osmond dies at 76 following lengthy MS battle

He is survived by his wife, eight sons, 30 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Family

This school in Kenya is addressing students with special needs like no other

Teachers in the school use hands-on lessons and multi-sensorial approach to reading when teaching kids with dyslexia and other disabilities.

Animals

Koala-detecting dog Bear, the hero of the Australian bush fires, retires

The dog is called Bear and he made headlines around the world as a master sniffer for injured koalas. Now, at 11, the four-legged helper is retiring.