Honda considers US$14 billion plan for EV production in Canada: Nikkei

Honda Motor Co is considering building an electric vehicle plant in Canada in a near ¥2 trillion (US$13.83 billion) project that could possibly include in-house production of batteries, Japan's Nikkei news group reported on Sunday (Jan 7). The project could be one of Honda's largest investments, the report said. The Japanese automaker is looking at multiple potential...

Indonesian police halt truck with over 200 dogs bound for slaughter

SEMARANG: Indonesian police have intercepted a truck carrying more than 200 dogs shackled and bound for the slaughterhouse, authorities said, in the latest victory for activists who oppose eating dog meat. The vehicle was detained late Saturday night (Jan 6) in Semarang city on the island of Java, where the imperilled pooches were discovered in the bed...

EU Council President Michel says to step down early

BRUSSELS: Belgian politician Charles Michel has announced he will step down early as European Council president after he runs in the European Parliament elections set for June. "I've decided to stand as a candidate for the European elections in June 2024," he told Belgian media. The surprise move is likely to heighten speculation about who will be the...

Workers’ union accepts Lazada’s apology over layoffs; talks on better retrenchment benefits ongoing

SINGAPORE: Lazada has apologised to the union representing their workers for not consulting it prior to its latest retrenchment exercise. In a joint statement on Saturday (Jan 6), the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliate Food Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) said that the FDAWU has accepted Lazada’s apology. "Both parties have agreed to work closely together and to put workers’...

Alaska Airlines grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes after emergency landing

WASHINGTON: US-based Alaska Airlines grounded all its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes on Friday  (Jan 5) after a flight with 177 people onboard made an emergency landing in the state of Oregon, with passengers saying a window panel blew out after takeoff. Flight 1282 departed from Portland International Airport on Friday evening before returning safely around...

Illegal swims across Sungai Melaka but fails to flee Immigration officers

MELAKA: An illegal immigrant dove into and swam across Sungai Melaka in a bid to flee Immigration officers during a raid at Kampung Morten here. Melaka Immigration director Anirwan Fauzee Mohd Aini said the Indonesian man, in his 20s, was arrested as soon he reached the opposite side of the river bank during the operation at...

Malaysia’s water tariff among lowest in Asean, says SPAN

SHAH ALAM: Malaysia imposes one of the region's lowest average tariffs per cubic metre of water, says the National Water Services Commission (SPAN). Through the frequently asked questions about the water tariff adjustments on its website, SPAN said Malaysia charges the fourth lowest average tariff among Asean countries, at RM1.22 per cubic metre, while Myanmar is...

Johor hit by floods again

JOHOR BAHRU: Floods have hit Johor again, affecting four districts as of 2pm today, following a heavy uninterrupted downpour since last night. State disaster management committee chairman Azmi Rohani said the four districts affected by the floods are Kluang, Mersing, Johor Bahru and Kota Tinggi, with a total of 330 victims from 70 families forced to...

‘Severe continuous’ rain till Sunday expected in Johor, Pahang

PETALING JAYA: Several parts of Johor and Pahang are set to experience “severe continuous” rain from today till Sunday, according to the meteorological department (MetMalaysia). This comes just as over 1,000 people in Johor have been evacuated due to floods caused by persistent heavy rain since last night. In a statement, MetMalaysia said the continuous rain will...

Perodua probes case of Bezza that broke down 8 hours after purchase

PETALING JAYA: Perodua is investigating a complaint involving a Perodua Bezza that allegedly broke down merely eight hours after being purchased from a sales centre. Perodua chief operating officer JH Rozman Jaafar said the company had been in constant communication with the customer since the issue arose in October. “Since then, we have taken several actions to...