Singapore

Work permit holders can stay employed in Singapore for longer as foreign worker rules tweaked

SINGAPORE: There will be no hard cap on how long a migrant worker can work here from July 1, 2025, in a move that is set to reshape Singapore's foreign workforce for years to come.

Cricket

Cricket-England Cricket apologises for 'ill-judged' papal Ashes repost

(Reuters) - The England and Wales Cricket Board has apologised after its social media staff reposted a message from the account of Pope Francis and suggested the pontiff, who is in hospital being treated for double pneumonia, was a fan of the Ashes series.

AseanPlus News

South Korea urged to adopt bitcoin reserve, won-backed stablecoin amid Trump crypto push

SEOUL: South Korea should consider integrating bitcoin into its national reserves and issuing a won-backed stablecoin, financial experts and industry leaders said at a forum on Thursday (March 6).

Nation

Using gender lens in drug decriminalisation efforts

KUALA LUMPUR: One afternoon in August 2024, Alice (not her real name) opened her bedroom door to a man and a woman asking her to follow them to a place almost 300km away, which was anything but a wonderland.

Robotics

Dozens of humanoid robots capable of working together

The Chinese robotics specialist UBTech has announced that it has successfully tested the deployment of several dozen of its humanoid robots in an electric car factory – a world first.

Thailand

Thai court denies Thaksin request to attend Asean meeting in Indonesia

BANGKOK: Thailand's criminal court has denied former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's (pic) request to leave the country to attend the Asean meeting in Indonesia on March 7, following an invitation from the Indonesian president.

Technology

Samsung seeking US public affairs head with Trump ties, newspaper says

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics' head of North American public affairs is expected to resign and it is looking for a successor with ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration and the Republican Party, a South Korean newspaper reported on Friday.

Tennis

Tennis-Rising star Fonseca still adjusting to newfound fame

INDIAN WELLS, California (Reuters) - Joao Fonseca said he is still getting used to signing autographs instead of asking for them after the Brazilian teenager showcased his talent with a win over Jacob Fearnley in his first match at Indian Wells on Thursday.

Markets

Selling on Bursa Malaysia continues following Wall St plunge

KUALA LUMPUR: The weakness on the domestic stock market persisted on Friday following a plunge on Wall Street overnight amid the uncertainty over US tariffs.

Sabah & Sarawak

Using sun bear as VMY2026 mascot a win for conservation, says expert

KOTA KINABALU: With the Malayan sun bear named the official mascot for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VMY2026), conservationist Dr Wong Siew Te sees the decision as a long-awaited recognition for the species he has spent decades fighting to protect.

AI

Google's search engine is (finally) getting an AI mode

Google has announced that its famous search engine will soon be equipped with an AI mode, enabling users to ask a question in natural language and receive a comprehensive answer, complete with links to relevant content.

Entertainment

YouTuber and adventure guide Andrew Cross dies a month after auto accident

The Colorado social media star is known as Desert Drifter online.

World

Trump: If NATO members don't pay, US won't defend them

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt on Thursday on his willingness to defend Washington's NATO allies, saying he would not do so if they are not paying enough for their own defense.

Nation

Two Seremban teens killed after car runs red light, crashes into their motorcycle

SEREMBAN: Two teenagers were killed when a car driven by an 18-year-old boy is believed to have run a red light at a junction and crashed into their motorcycle here.

Technology

SBI denies report it is negotiating with SK Hynix, UMC on Japan chip plant

TOKYO (Reuters) -SBI Holdings denied a Nikkan Kogyo newspaper report that it is negotiating with South Korea's SK Hynix and Taiwan's UMC about collaboration on a chips plant in Miyagi prefecture.

Technology

Trump signs order to establish strategic bitcoin reserve

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve, a day before meeting with executives from the cryptocurrency industry at the White House.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Is someone impersonating a Pahang royal on social media?

A TIKTOK account has recently emerged claiming to represent the daughter of the Sultan of Pahang, Tengku Puteri Raja Tengku Puteri Afzan Aminah Hafidzatullah.

Nation

Cops nab four over clashes with DBKL enforcement officers

KUALA LUMPUR: Four individuals, including a woman, have been remanded for two to three days starting Friday (March 7), after allegedly assaulting Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers during operations at two separate locations on Thursday (March 6).

Technology

US Labor Department investigating Nvidia, Amazon-backed startup Scale AI

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Labor is investigating Scale AI, a data labeling startup backed by tech giants Nvidia, Amazon and Meta, for its compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the California-based firm said on Thursday.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Is the value of the modern Oscar statuette only US$1?

THE world got to watch the Oscars 2025 recently, and the winners from various categories gleefully celebrated their victories upon being announced the winners for their respective categories and going up to the stage to receive their Oscars and give their speeches.