China

EU lawmakers press China on unsafe products on rare Beijing visit

BEIJING: EU lawmakers this week pressed China over a surge of dangerous products into the bloc and insufficient access to the Chinese market as they kicked off the first European parliamentary visit to the world's No.2 economy in eight years.

Energy

PETRONAS seeks to bring forward first CO2 injection at Kasawari to 2027

KUALA LUMPUR: PETRONAS is looking to bring forward the first carbon dioxide (CO2) injection for its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the Kasawari gas field, offshore Sarawak, to as early as 2027.

Nation

Court allows counselling teacher accused of sexually assaulting 11-year-old to undergo psych eval

SEREMBAN: The Sessions Court here has allowed an application by the defence to refer a counselling teacher facing charges of committing physical sexual assault against an 11-year-old student and possessing child pornography to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

South Korea

South Korea will use AI to speed up responses to digital sex crimes

SEOUL: South Korea will deploy artificial intelligence to speed up responses to digital sex crimes, as such cases continue to rise, particularly among younger age groups.

Nation

Thunderstorm warning issued across multiple Malaysian states until 5pm today

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) has issued a fresh thunderstorm warning for large parts of the country, alerting residents to the likelihood of thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds.

Gadgets

Kenya probes Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses privacy concerns

Kenya is investigating Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses over accusations of storing users' data by recording their daily lives without their knowledge, digital rights group The Oversight Lab said Tuesday.

Fashion

All the cool kids: A look into the trendsetting spaces influencing Gen Z fashion

How youth-led fashion scenes are redefining style as a fluid expression of identity, community and change.

Animals

Are bonobos truly the peaceful counterparts to chimps? New study says no

Bonobos for years have had the reputation of being the cool hippies of the simian world, in contrast to their belligerent cousins, the chimpanzees.

Cambodia

Accused scam boss extradited from Cambodia to China

BEIJING: A China-born accused scam boss was extradited from Cambodia, Chinese state media said Wednesday (April 1), linking him to an alleged kingpin indicted by the US for running a multibillion-dollar cyberscam network from the South-East Asian n

Corporate News

YTL Cement launches RM2.60 offer for CEPCO after securing 53.5% stake

KUALA LUMPUR: Concrete Engineering Products Bhd (CEPCO) has received an unconditional mandatory take-over offer from YTL Cement Bhd at RM2.60 a share in cash.

Vietnam

Vietnam braces for thunderstorms, strong winds, hail during seasonal transition

HANOI: Cities and provinces in Vietnam were ordered to step up preparedness as thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning, hail and strong gales threaten the country during the seasonal transition.

Nation

When learned helplessness turns fatal: The psychology of murder suicide

Depression strikes millions, but in its darkest form, it drives fathers to destroy what they love most – their own families.

Singapore

Singapore allocates Yishun Avenue 3 plot for new Kerala-style Hindu temple; first new build since 2006

SINGAPORE: A new Hindu temple will be built in a land parcel along Yishun Avenue 3, in a move aimed at meeting the growing needs of the Hindu community in Singapore.

World

Australia PM Albanese to address nation over Iran crisis

SYDNEY, April 1 (Reuters) - ⁠Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will deliver a rare address ⁠to the nation on Wednesday about the war in the Middle ‌East, with media reporting he will encourage Australians to conserve fuel.

Nation

RM60,000 lost to credit card scams: Elderly contractor among victims

KUALA LUMPUR: A 67-year-old contractor lost nearly RM20,000 after falling victim to credit card fraud involving overseas medical transactions in March last year.

Economy

Malaysia’s manufacturing sector returns to growth as PMI rises to 50.7

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's manufacturing sector returned to expansion in March, with the S&P Global Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising to 50.7 from 49.3 in February.

Arts

In Turkiye, a cultural diplomacy push to recover the country's antiquities

Turkiye intensifies fight against antiquities trafficking, reclaiming 180 artefacts last year

Cybersecurity

North Korean hackers suspected in Axios software tool breach

Axios, a tool widely used to develop software applications, was compromised overnight, introducing a vulnerability in a key part of the internet's plumbing.

Nation

22-year-old claims trial to sex assault charges involving 16-year-old girl

SEREMBAN: A 22-year-old man claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to two charges of sexually assaulting his 16-year-old female friend.

Nation

Malaysia's electricity rebates fall to 0.47 sen/kWh for April

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's fuel costs have shifted sharply, with electricity rebates known as the Automatic Fuel Adjustment (AFA) that once peaked at almost 9 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh) in November, has now fallen to just 0.47 sen/kWh for April, says the Energy Commission.