Food prices remain high post Chinese New Year in Ipoh, Perak since most food business owners had adjusted their prices ahead of the festival to offset the rising cost. The culprit? A surge in the prices of coffee powder, sugar, milk, and other essential ingredients, left merchants feeling the pressures of rising costs. “If merchants…
New Zealand listed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist entity and imposed travel bans on “extremist” Israeli settlers whom it said had committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement that the attacks by the Hamas on Israel in October “were brutal…
Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan admitted that Israel’s military response “has gone too far” but severing ties with Israel would neither resolve the ongoing conflict nor reduce sufferings of the Palestinians. “We manage our international relations by remaining engaged with the international community and maintaining ties with as many countries possible,” he said, as…
The opposition bloc, Perikatan Nasional is practising pin drop silence over anti-corruption efforts undertaken by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) against the super rich, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. “I observed in parliament, that the opposition behaves as if it is angry and resentful, and there is no opposition voice supporting the…
Thailand will ban recreational use of marijuana by the end of this year but continue to allow its use for medical purposes, the health minister told Reuters in an interview. After Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to free up medicinal use in 2018, and then recreational use in 2022, tens of thousands…
Hamas called on Wednesday for Palestinians to march to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan, raising the stakes in ongoing negotiations for a truce in Gaza, which U.S. President Joe Biden hopes will be in place by then. The call by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh followed comments by Biden that an agreement could…
Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates would be signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that ‘aims to deepen ties with strategic partners’ by June this year, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, Tengku Zafrul Aziz. Non-oil bilateral trade between the two nations reach more than US$2.226 billion during the first half of 2023. Last…
The Money Services Business (Amendment) Bill 2024 was presented for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today, reported Bernama. Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, who tabled the Bill, said the second reading was also scheduled to take place this session. According to a document posted on the Parliament’s website, the proposed amendment aims…
Hezbollah which has launched a strike against Israel, would halt its military campaign if Hamas agrees to a truce proposal with Israel in Gaza, provided that the Israel Defence Forces stops shelling Lebanon. Hamas is now weighing a new proposal, agreed by Israel at talks with mediators in Paris last week, for a deal that…
50 percent of local councillors have to be professional and not monopolised by politicians, said Sultan Selangor. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah emphasised the importance of diligence and responsibility among civil servants, warning against the consequences of being careless and lazy. “With this measure, it is hoped all the people’s problems and complaints can be better…
