KUALA LUMPUR: According to official statistics released on Friday, Malaysia’s CPI (consumer price index) grew by 2.8 percent year-over-year in May. Reuters polled 17 economists and found that the increase was more than 2.6 percent. The index had increased by 2.3% in April.

KABUL: Officials say the dead toll from Wednesday’s earthquake in Afghanistan has reached 1,000, with more than 600 injuries and the number anticipated to rise as information from isolated mountain settlements trickles in. After the magnitude 6.1 earthquake, photos in Afghan media showed houses reduced to rubble and people covered in blankets lying on the ground. Rescue efforts were complicated …

SINGAPORE: When a fire broke out in a HDB apartment in Marsiling, Singapore, on Wednesday night, two children were saved by police officers (Jun 22). When the SCDF was notified about the fire at Block 218 Marsiling Crescent at 10.40 p.m., they responded immediately. The fire was burning and dense black smoke was billowing from the apartment when firemen got …

PARIS: An unprecedented number of regulatory organizations, including the International Swimming Federation (FINA) and World Triathlon, have pledged to reexamine their policies regarding the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports in the wake of last weekend’s FINA verdict. For the first time in its history, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voted to exclude transgender swimmers from the top …

TAIPEI: The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan urged the United States to “urgently” begin negotiations with Taiwan on a free trade agreement with the goal of presenting a final text for passage in 2024, according to its annual policy paper issued on Wednesday (Jun 22). As a significant display of solidarity for the Chinese-claimed island in the face of …

US: US central bank head Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the Federal Reserve is deeply committed to lowering inflation, which is now running at a 40-year high, and that policymakers are moving “expeditiously” to do so (Jun 21). If we are to have a sustained period of durable labor market conditions, Powell told the US Senate Banking Committee, “we …

PHILIPPINES: What accounts for real progress? Think of Louisa Alcott’s famous novel Little Women; it is no secret that it is a powerful anecdote that celebrated Feminism, but the book tackled real-world injustices as well. Amy March, one of the book’s protagonists, was questioned about her marriage view, and she replied with a matter-of-fact tone that she is “just” a …

SINGAPORE: Billie Eilish, the Grammy-winning artist’s Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, will take her to Singapore National Stadium on August 21 as part of the Asian leg.  In a tweet, the 20-year-old announced that she would perform in six Asian cities, beginning on August 13 in Manila and concluding on August 26 in Tokyo. Signing up for Eilish’s email …

KYIV: Zelenskyy said Russia’s overwhelming air and artillery operations were intended at destroying the Donbas region, and called for Ukraine’s allies to expedite the arrival of heavy weaponry so that they could equal Russia in combat. A meeting of European leaders will be held in Brussels on Thursday (Jun 23) to officially begin the lengthy process of integrating Ukraine into …

NORTH KOREA: On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the second day of the country’s key party conference on its military and defense programs, according to state media reports on Thursday, amid fears of an impending nuclear test. Kim emphasized the necessity of measures to boost frontline unit operational capabilities during their meeting, according to Korea Central …