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AseanPlus News
China is subsidising global fentanyl supply, says report by US congressional panel
Despite an agreement in November to address the deadly drug, there is little evidence that China is committed to the effort, experts testifyCalls for Congress to impose economic sanctions on Chinese companies and financial institutions involved in producing or financing the drug or its ingredients
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AseanPlus News
US tariffs review of over US$300 billion worth of Chinese imports almost done, says top trade envoy
Biden administration ‘taking a serious look’ at existing tools to deal effectively with Beijing’s policies causing ‘dependencies and vulnerabilities’US lawmakers also raise questions about withdrawal of Trump-era demands on digital trade rules, fearing reversal means victory for China
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Economy
Malaysia's economy likely grew 3.9% y-o-y in Q1 - advance estimate
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's economy is expected to have grown 3.9% in the first quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, faster than in the previous three-month period, official advance estimates from the Statistics Department showed on Friday.
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Mobile apps
Apple pulls WhatsApp from China app store on Beijing request
Apple Inc said that it removed Meta Platforms Inc’s WhatsApp and Threads from its China apps store after an order from the country’s Internet regulator, which said the services pose risks to the country’s security.
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Badminton
Tze Yong dropped from Thomas Cup squad
PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong has been dropped from the Thomas Cup team after failing to fully recover from back surgery.
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World
Five Japanese escape unhurt in Pakistan suicide blast attack
KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) -Five Japanese nationals in Pakistan escaped unhurt on Friday from a suicide bomb attack on their vehicle as police shot down a gunman accompanying the bomber, a police spokesperson said, but two bystanders were among the three injured.
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Nation
Tanzanian vessel catches fire near Pulau Lima, crew rescued
JOHOR BARU: A Tanzanian-registered vessel caught fire and drifted in Malaysian waters at 5.6 nautical miles (10.37km) south-east of Pulau Lima near Johor.
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World
No missile attack against Iran, Iranian official tells Reuters
DUBAI (Reuters) - Explosions heard in Isfahan were a result of the activation of Iran's air defence systems, an Iranian official told Reuters on Friday, adding that no missile attack was carried out against Iran.
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AI
AI-powered World Health chatbot is flubbing some answers
The World Health Organization is wading into the world of AI to provide basic health information through a human-like avatar. But while the bot responds sympathetically to users’ facial expressions, it doesn’t always know what it’s talking about.
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Asia & Oceania
Remote province in China sees surge in tourism, thanks to hot pot
The quiet Gansu region in China has witnessed an increase in domestic tourists at its scenic spots along the Hexi Corridor.
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World
Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as sound of explosions heard near Isfahan
DUBAI: Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday (April 19) morning after reports of explosions near the city of Isfahan, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
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World
South Korea to adjust medical school quotas in bid to end walkout
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Friday the government will adjust its healthcare reform plans to let medical schools determine their own admissions next year in a bid to end a prolonged walkout by junior doctors.
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Commodities
Oil prices surge 3% on reports of Israeli strikes on Iran
OIL prices jumped $3 a barrel on Friday in reaction to reports that Israeli missiles had struck a site in Iran, sparking concerns that Middle East oil supply could be disrupted.
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Mobile apps
Apple removes WhatsApp, Threads from China app store on government order
Apple removed Meta Platforms' WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China on Friday after the iPhone maker was ordered by the Chinese government.
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Forex
Ringgit opens easier against US$ as Fed turns hawkish
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened easier against the US dollar today as the greenback strengthened further following the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) official hawkish stance.
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Entertainment
Alamak! Japanese dance team wows Malaysians by dancing to viral hit 'Alamak Raya Lagi'
The groovy track previously caught the attention of South Korean girl group Tri.Be and Indian actor Santhosh Prathap.
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World
Explainer-India's Lok Sabha election 2024: What are the key issues?
(Reuters) - Nearly 1 billion Indians will be eligible to vote in the world's biggest election starting this month. Opinion polls predict an easy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),which would give him a record-equalling third straight term.
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World
Factbox-India’s Lok Sabha election 2024: What you need to know
(Reuters) - India is holding the world's biggest election starting this month, with nearly 1 billion people eligible to vote and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the pole position.
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Markets
FBM KLCI continues rebound after two days of recovery
KUALA LUMPUR: An air of uncertainty remains on the domestic market following two days of recovery as the tensions in the Middle East subside and investors digest the latest developments in the US economy.
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Thailand
Tripling bilateral trade with NZ on the cards
The COUNTRY and New Zealand vowed to boost economic cooperation with an aim to triple two-way trade by 2045, as the latter’s leader visited Thailand for the first time in 11 years.