Australia says it supports US strike, calls for return to diplomacy

SYDNEY: Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (pic) said on Monday (June 23) that Canberra supported the United States strike on Iran and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. "We support action that the US has taken to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," Wong said in a television interview with Seven Sunrise. In a...

‘Parents should be held accountable’

PETALING JAYA: Despite alarming numbers of children riding motorcycles and thousands of underage deaths recorded over the years, warnings alone have proven ineffective – largely due to poor parental oversight and lax enforcement, says the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam). Suhakam Children’s Commissioner Dr Farah Nini Dusuki said enforcement efforts are often futile without stronger...

Ringgit higher at opening amid ongoing geopolitical tensions

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar and a basket of major currencies on Monday despite a strong US Dollar Index (DXY) as ongoing geopolitical tensions, with the United States’ (US) involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, in focus, said an analyst. At 8 am, the local note rose to 4.2420/2655 against the greenback from Friday’s...

Klang fatal shooting: “I thought it was a crow-shooting operation”, says shop owner

KLANG: The daily routine of the community in Taman Meru Utama came to a standstill when the peace was shattered by the sound of gunfire in front of a motorcycle shop that claimed the life of a local man on Friday (June 20). At the time of the incident, a retail shop owner, a woman who wished...

Bomb threat diverts plane with hundreds of haj pilgrims in Indonesia, second in days

JAKARTA (AFP): A plane carrying hundreds of hajj pilgrims back to Indonesia from the Middle East was diverted Saturday after a bomb threat, the transport ministry and police said, the second such incident in a week. Saudia Airlines flight SV5688 had flown from the Saudi city of Jeddah to the Omani capital Muscat before travelling on...

China offers to be peacemaker in Iran-Israel war, but is unlikely to intervene

BEIJING (The Straits Times/ANN): As the conflict between Israel and Iran stretches beyond a week, China has found itself sidelined in developments that could yet have far-reaching consequences for its interests in the Middle East. While Beijing has offered itself as a peacemaker, it is unlikely to wade into the conflict directly, or to supply arms...

UPDATE — Thai PM will not resign or dissolve parliament, ruling party official says

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand's embattled prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will not resign or dissolve parliament, a senior official from the ruling Pheu Thai party said on Saturday, risking a prolonged political crisis in South-Est Asia's second largest economy. Sorawong Thienthong, who also serves as Thailand's tourism minister, said in a Facebook post that the prime minister would...

WEF Asean 2025 highlights regional resolution on women’s empowerment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Women Economic Forum (WEF) Asean 2025 concluded on Saturday (June 21) after three impactful days of dialogue, culminating in the announcement of 27 comprehensive resolutions designed to accelerate women's leadership and inclusive economic growth across the Asean region and beyond. Asean WEF 2025 president Dr Hartini Osman said the resolutions represent a bold,...

Nurul Izzah, Saifuddin Nasution appointed PKR’s election directors, says Fahmi

PETALING JAYA: Newly-elected PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar has been appointed as the party’s election co-director, says the party’s information chief. Datuk Fahmi Fadzil also added that Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has also been appointed to the position. The co-directors succeeded former PKR deputy president Datuk Rafizi Ramli, who recently lost the party polls leading...

Exclusive-Senior Iranian official: European proposals in Geneva unrealistic

ISTANBUL (Reuters) -The discussions and proposals made by the European powers to Iran over its nuclear programme in Geneva were unrealistic and insisting on them will not bring both sides closer to an agreement, a senior Iranian official told Reuters. "In any case, Iran will review the European proposals in Tehran and present its responses in...