Nation

Ban on foreign credit card use for RON95 purchase at pumps now in effect

KUALA LUMPUR: The restriction on the purchase of RON95 petrol using foreign credit and debit cards at self-service terminals at petrol stations is being enforced in stages nationwide from Wednesday (April 1).

Laos

Laos boosts economic inclusion for women, people with disabilities

VIENTIANE: Laos has launched a project to empower women and persons with disabilities through the development of One District One Product, improved packaging design and expanded access to e-commerce.

Commodities

Gold ticks up as dollar slips on Mideast de-escalation hopes

GOLD prices rose on Wednesday to their highest in nearly two weeks, supported by a weaker dollar following U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that the war with Iran could wind down in weeks.

Myanmar

Myanmar closes 17 fuel stations, warns 24 for violating QR code rules

YANGON: Myanmar's Ministry of Energy has temporarily shut down 17 fuel stations across Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay and Mon State, while issuing strong warnings to 24 others for selling fuel without scanning Bar Code/QR Code systems.

Philippines

Philippines LPG prices surge by P17 to P36 per kilo in April

MANILA: Filipino households, restaurants and food vendors will have to shell out more money to buy liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as oil firms implement massive hikes of as much as P403 (US$6.70) per 11-kilogram cylinder.

Nation

Absolute ban on e-waste imports effective April 1, says Customs

PUTRAJAYA: The importation of e-waste into Malaysia has officially been gazetted as an absolutely prohibited item under the First Schedule of the Customs (Prohibition on Imports) Order 2023.

Nation

Asean to be held virtually this year, physical meets only for leaders, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: Physical Asean meetings this year will only include heads of government, said government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Indonesia

Independent probe in Indonesia finds intelligence operation behind attack on activist

JAKARTA: Pressure has grown for a transparent investigation of the acid attack on Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) activist Andrie Yunus amid allegations of a systemic operation behind the assault.

Nation

Fadillah to give daily briefing on measures to address global energy crisis, Middle East conflict

PUTRAJAYA: The government will be holding daily briefings to give updates on measures taken to address the global energy crisis and the ongoing Middle East conflict, said Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Energy

Oil slides as Middle East uncertainty keeps markets on edge

SINGAPORE: Oil tumbled more than 3% on Wednesday, reversing earlier gains as persistent Middle East volatility unnerved markets even amid reports the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran could be winding down.

Nation

Anwar pays tribute to JPJ on 80th anniversary, urges to enhance service quality

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today paid tribute to the Road Transport Department (JPJ) on its 80th anniversary and called on the agency to further strengthen enforcement and enhance service quality to maintain public confidence.

Thailand

No joke: Thai government warns of jail time for April Fool’s hoaxes

BANGKOK: The Thai government has issued a stern warning to social media users on April 1, stating that those who "prank" others online for April Fool's Day could face severe legal consequences, including heavy fines and imprisonment.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.