Technology

Anthropic, Accenture to invest $2 billion in AI model evaluation as safety concerns rise

Sept 18 (Reuters) - AI lab ⁠Anthropic said on Friday it would partner with Accenture for ⁠the independent evaluation of its frontier AI models, with the ‌companies each committing at least $1 billion over the next five years to build capacity for the work.

Nation

Solar lights to brighten up accident hotspot

TWENTY solar-powered street lights will brighten an accident-prone stretch in Tapah, funded through Datuk Seri M. Saravanan's parliamentary allocation, Malaysia Nanban reported.

Nation

Petaling Jaya among five hard-hit areas in Selangor

PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya was among the areas hit hard by the haze as Selangor recorded the highest number of areas with unhealthy air quality readings in Peninsular Malaysia, with five monitoring stations registering Air Pollutant Index (API) readings above 150 as at 6pm yesterday.

Nation

Asean Halal Council launch proposed for late 2027

JAKARTA: Malaysia has proposed the formal establishment and launch of the Asean Halal Council in the country in September 2027 as part of efforts to turn the idea of a regional halal council into a functioning institution, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Nation

‘Research key to ensuring Pisa plan’s success’

Malaysia needs an urgent, detailed plan to improve its performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa).

South Korea

Thaw in relations possible

President Lee Jae-myung said that US President Donald Trump clearly wants dialogue with Pyongyang and confirmed Seoul will not be deploying troops to intervene militarily in the Iran war.

Nation

Dr Wee: Education reset needed

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia needs an immediate national education recovery plan with clear timelines and objectives following its disappointing performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2025, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

China

Typhoon Dolphin caused US$5.38bil in losses

The government revealed that direct economic losses incurred from natural disasters in August amounted to 36.03 billion yuan or US$5.38bil (RM22bil), with Typhoon Dolphin causing the most damage.

Sabah & Sarawak

Safer flights, better allowances sought for rural health workers

KOTA KINABALU: Safety concerns over aircraft used for rural air services and inadequate allowances for civil servants stationed in remote areas have prompted calls for government action.

India

Orang utan out of place

Five baby orang utan abandoned in a forest here have exposed a "massive" exotic wildlife trade, with traffic­kers smuggling increasingly rare species into the country, experts say.

Sri Lanka

Family fights for last shack standing

Famed seafood shack Beach Wadiya has hosted royalty inclu­ding Britain's Princess Anne and sporting legends such as cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, but now faces demolition under a government-­ordered coastal clean-up.

Indonesia

Ex-Italian aircraft carrier is now ‘KRI Sriwijaya’ in Jakarta

THE country welcomed the arrival of its first aircraft carrier yesterday, a 41-year-old former Italian Navy vessel, its latest big arms procurement as it seeks to modernise its ageing military assets.

Nation

Three teens among four held in Johor drug raids

JOHOR BARU: Three teenagers were among four people arrested for alleged drug-related activities in separate operations in Johor.

Indonesia

Rescue op now a salvage mission

Authorities were preparing to right a capsized passenger ferry that went down in the Java Sea last week, a navy official said, with dozens of people still missing.

Nation

DOSM: Inflation up 1.9% in August

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's inflation increased to 1.9% in August 2026 from 1.8% in the ­previous month, with the Consumer Price Index rising to 137.5 points in July from 134.9 a year earlier, according to the Statistics Department (DOSM).

Vietnam

Heavy rain, floods wreaking havoc in northern region

Heavy rain caused flooding across parts of the country's north, disrupting travel, inunda­ting homes and pushing several rivers above dangerous levels, authorities and state media said.

Philippines

Teen gunman kills two classmates

Three students were killed in a school shooting in the country's south, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman who turned the gun on himself, provincial officials said.

Metro News

Strengthening ties with Johor media

Johor government is strengthening its engagement with the media.

Nation

Ministry out to prevent ‘hot weather’ profiteering

SHAH ALAM: Stern action will be taken against traders found to have raised prices of goods, particularly vegetables, unreasonably due to the current hot weather, warns Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh.

Food News

Fragrant, floral jellies for Mid-Autumn festive table

I had the pleasure of making mooncakes for this column a few years ago, and what an experience it was!