Malaysia civil servants to work from home amid fuel crisis: PM Anwar

He did not give details, saying more updates would be announced soon.

Libya's Haftar acquires combat drones despite UN embargo

CAIRO, April 2 - Eastern Libya's military leader, Khalifa Haftar, has acquired what appear to be Chinese and Turkish combat drones, Reuters reporting has found, despite a long-standing U.N. embargo on supplying weapons to the divided North African country.

Malaysia civil servants to work from home amid fuel crisis

South Korea's Lee urges prompt passage of $17 billion extra budget amid Middle East energy crisis

SEOUL, April 2 - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday urged parliament to promptly pass a 26.2 trillion won ($17.3 billion) supplementary budget to shore up the economy amid \"the worst energy security threat\" posed by the Middle East crisis.

Pump, dump and post: Indonesia needs to regulate its finfluencers

Indonesia’s digital financial ecosystem is expanding rapidly, but regulatory scrutiny has struggled to keep pace with the growing influence of social media personalities who provide investment commentary to millions of followers. This governance gap was sharply exposed in

Myanmar parliament to hold vote to elect president on Apr 3, house speaker says

Penang to enforce single-use plastic bag ban from Sept 1

Errant businesses may risk their ability to operate if they fail to meet the requirement.

Myanmar parliament to hold vote to elect president on Friday, house speaker says

April 2 - Myanmar's parliament will hold a bicameral vote to elect a president on Friday, house speaker Aung Lin Dwe said on Thursday, with the country's former military chief and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in the running for the position.

Iran shows S Korea’s real vulnerability is cars not crude

The Iran conflict has sent oil prices higher — and has stripped bare a long-ignored vulnerability in South Korea’s energy system. While the headlines focus on Middle Eastern tankers, the crisis reveals that this is not merely a supply problem dictated by geopolitics, but a

Batam Immigration admits extortion of foreign tourist from Singapore, officer withdrawn from service

Initial investigation found a broker had offered to help a traveller from Singapore for a fee.

Australia PM says Iran war objectives met, ‘not clear’ what more to achieve

He called for de-escalation, having previously said Australia is not a participant in the war.

Hopes dim for swift end to Iran war after Trump speech, oil prices surge anew

WASHINGTON/CAIRO, April 2 - Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, in an eagerly anticipated address that disappointed investors hoping for clearer signals of a way out.

Magnitude 7.4 earthquake hits off Indonesia, killing one

The quake struck between the islands of Manado and Ternate. Tsunami warnings have now been lifted.

Fire hits LPG station near residential area of Indonesia’s Bekasi regency, 12 injured, agency says

Some houses and vehicles were also damaged, said an official.

Fire hits LPG station near residential area of Indonesia's Bekasi regency, 12 injured, agency says

JAKARTA, April 2 - A fire broke out at a liquefied petroleum gas filling station near a residential area in Indonesia's Bekasi regency, east of the capital Jakarta, injuring at least 12, state news agency Antara said on Thursday, citing the local disaster mitigation agency.

Trump says Iran war ending soon, but ‘extremely hard’ hits ahead

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said during a primetime address Wednesday that the US military’s “little journey” in Iran will conclude “very shortly.” “We are systematically dismantling the regime’s ability to threaten America or project power outside of their borders.

Taiwan military says budget delay threatens $3.1b in weapons buying, training

The government has said it needs to spend more to deter China.

Melon cream bun recalled in S. Korea over foul odour. The culprit: Durian flavouring used by mistake

All affected products have been fully recalled and replaced with correctly manufactured items.

Australia hits gambling advertising, advocates say not hard enough

Australia is the world’s biggest gambling nation, which also has the highest per-capita betting losses.

Australia cracks down on gambling advertising, bans celebrity promotions

SYDNEY, April 2 - Australia is introducing a raft of measures to curb gambling advertising, including banning promotions by celebrities and sports stars, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

South Korean doctors on Manila-bound flight save passenger in midair emergency

The passenger fell seriously ill on a flight from Incheon to Manila on March 24.

Trump falling into Iran’s asymmetric resolve trap

Little has seemingly gone as Washington planned in the war against Iran. The Iranian people have not risen up, one hard-line leader has been replaced by another, Iranian missiles and drones keep hitting targets across the Middle East, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, driving

Indonesia earthquake damages buildings, triggers tsunami waves

JAKARTA, April 2 - An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.

Indonesia reports first health professional death amid measles outbreak

As of March 22, the country recorded 16,355 confirmed measles cases since the start of 2026.

Malaysia’s PM Anwar urges crackdown on fake news over fuel prices

The Malaysian govt is seeking to shore up public confidence amid a global energy crunch.

Families, comrades mourn Indonesian soldiers killed in Lebanon

Three Indonesian UN peacekeepers were killed in two separate incidents in Lebanon on March 29 and 30.

Indonesia rolls out one-day remote work in push for energy efficiency

Civil servants at the central and regional levels will begin working from home every Friday.

Alleged Bondi gunman loses court bid to suppress names of his family

Lawyers for Naveed Akram had argued his mother, brother and sister live in "constant fear".

Reactions as Artemis II astronauts lift off on historic lunar mission

April 1 - Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a 10-day trip around the moon that would be the farthest humans have ever traveled and a major step toward returning people to the lunar surface this decade.

Bondi Beach shooting: Alleged gunman loses bid to give family anonymity

The judge said the mass shooting has caused "unprecedented public interest, anger, outrage and grief".

Alleged Bondi gunman loses bid to give family anonymity

SYDNEY, April 2 - A man accused of one of Australia's worst ever mass shootings on Thursday lost a bid to prevent media from reporting the identities of his family.

Australian state triggers emergency powers amid Middle East fuel crisis

The powers will force fuel suppliers to provide detailed information on their supply chains.

Tsunami warning issued after earthquake strikes Molucca Sea near Indonesia

April 2 - A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Northern Molucca Sea off the coast of Ternate, Indonesia, on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, triggering a tsunami warning for neighouring countries.

JB food guide: Railway-themed briyani and seafront treats in Stulang Laut

In this new Makan Kakis series that takes you across the Causeway, Mediacorp Gold 905’s Denise Tan tries eating tawa chicken briyani served on banana leaves with her hands – under the guidance of Oli 968's RJ Vimala – at an eatery inspired by a railway station.

At least 1 dead as 7.4-magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia; tsunami warning lifted after 2 hours

Indonesian broadcaster Metro TV reported one person had died from falling rubble in the Manado area.

New Zealand, Cook Islands sign defence and security declaration, reset relationship

WELLINGTON, April 2 - New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a new defence and security agreement on Thursday, seeking to reset ties after months of tension over the Cook Islands' dealings with China and clarifying how the two sides will consult going forward on defence and

Major earthquake in Molucca Sea near Indonesia triggers tsunami warning, waves

Tsunami waves 0.3m high hit Indonesia's North Maluku after the quake.

7.4-magnitude quake off Indonesia kills one, tsunami warning lifted

Tsunami waves 0.3m high hit Indonesia's North Maluku after the quake.

New Zealand signs Cook Islands agreement to counter China deal

A strategic partnership agreement with Beijing in February 2025 caused the NZ-Cook Islands relationship to fray.

Trump to tell wary public that Iran war goals have been accomplished in prime-time address

WASHINGTON, April 1 - U.S. President Donald Trump will address the nation in a televised speech at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT) on Wednesday as his administration signals it is moving toward a possible exit from the month-long war with Iran.

Luxon appoints Penk to lead New Zealand defence in Wellington reshuffle

WELLINGTON, April 2 - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Thursday appointed Chris Penk as defence minister in a Cabinet reshuffle, handing a former naval officer responsibility for the armed forces.

Commentary: India’s gas shortage will make dal compete with data

Silicon Valley firms want to tap India’s solar power, but New Delhi must prioritise human welfare over artificial intelligence, says Andy Mukherjee for Bloomberg Opinion.

The Iran vs US-Israel war and the end of the unipolar moment

As the Middle East war between Iran, the United States, and Israel, enters its 34th day, it has become evident that we are witnessing more than just another chapter in the long and bloody annals of Middle Eastern strife. The preceding 33 days have already accomplished what

Starmer to host 35-nation talks on Strait of Hormuz – without US

With President Donald Trump lambasting European allies over their reluctance to be dragged into his war against Iran and reportedly mulling leaving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday that Britain will host talks involving

China-US competition for rare earths sparks plan to mine Pacific seabed near Guam

‘Largest seabed mining proposal in US history’ would cover an area the size of Nevada

French navy chief says China will have to engage more in Strait of Hormuz discussion

PARIS, April 1 - China will at one point have to engage more directly on how to restore oil traffic flows in the Strait of Hormuz because the number of vessels it has going through is probably insufficient, France's navy chief said on Wednesday.

Italy recovers 19 bodies from migrant boat, survivors taken to Lampedusa

ROME, April 1 - Italy's coast guard recovered the bodies of 19 migrants and rescued 58 survivors from a boat that broke down while trying to cross to Europe from Libya, rescue officials and migrant rescue charities said on Wednesday.

A war meant to break Iran could leave Tehran stronger, and Gulf exposed

DUBAI, April 1 - If President Donald Trump ends the war with Iran without a deal, he risks leaving Tehran with a stranglehold over Middle East energy supplies and Gulf Arab oil and gas producers grappling with the fallout of a conflict they did not start or shape.