Technology

Crypto execs ask Congress to let stablecoins pay interest as bill set to advance

(Reuters) - Some influential cryptocurrency executives are making a last-minute pitch to Congress to allow interest to be paid on U.S. dollar-pegged tokens as part of popular legislation establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins.

Laos

Lao Digital Week 2025 kicks off to boost digital transformation

VIENTIANE: The Ministry of Technology and Communications on Wednesday (April 2) launched Lao Digital Week 2025, which is taking place from April 2-6 at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane.

Nation

Offensive content: MCMC records statement of customer service officer

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on Thursday recorded the statement of a customer service officer believed to have uploaded highly offensive content that touched on racial sensitivities on X.

AseanPlus News

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Thursday (April 3, 2025)

Here's a look at the news highlights from Asean countries in the Star-AseanPlus section for Thursday (April 3, 2025)

World

Driver of car in Amsterdam explosion may have been attempting suicide, police say

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Dutch police said they believed the driver of a car that caught fire on Thursday following an explosion in central Amsterdam may have been attempting to commit suicide.

Nation

JPJ nabs foreigner suspected of smuggling untaxed alcohol

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Road Transport Department (JPJ) detained a foreign man suspected of smuggling untaxed liquor at the Sentul Toll Plaza on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway on Wednesday.

World

Uganda's Museveni arrives in South Sudan amid political crisis

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni arrived in neighbouring South Sudan on Thursday, in the highest level mission there since clashes and the detention of the vice president triggered regional fears of a return to civil war.

Technology

AI video maker Runway raises $308 million in General Atlantic-led funding round

(Reuters) -AI video startup Runway said on Thursday it had raised $308 million in a new funding round, led by private equity firm General Atlantic, to expand its new media ecosystem.

Technology

Lenovo, Ericsson settle international patent dispute

LONDON (Reuters) -Lenovo said on Thursday it and Ericsson had reached an agreement on a global patent cross-licence and to settle all pending litigation, ending a worldwide legal battle.

Football

Soccer-Global football boss Infantino hopeful of Russia return

(Reuters) -FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday he hoped Russia could rejoin the global football world soon, as it would signify that the war in Ukraine was over.

World

Russian dissident Gorinov fails in appeal against sentence for 'justifying terrorism'

(Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by dissident Alexei Gorinov against a three-year prison sentence for "justifying terrorism", a human rights group said.

Singapore

S$1.45bil nickel scam: Venture capitalist says he was impressed when he first met alleged scammer

SINGAPORE: Well-known venture capitalist Finian Tan told the High Court on Thursday (April 3) that he was impressed by alleged fraudster Ng Yu Zhi, who was introduced to him as a successful nickel trader when they first met in August 2020.

AseanPlus News

Bushfire triggers evacuation order in Southeast Perth

SYDNEY: (Bernama-Xinhua) An out-of-control bushfire burning in the suburbs of Perth, the capital city of Australia's state of Western Australia (WA), has prompted an emergency evacuation warning, reported Xinhua.

Nation

Putra Heights inferno: Affected civil servants allowed to work from home

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants affected by the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights on Tuesday have been granted permission to work from home (WFH), according to Public Service director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.

Nation

Myanmar quake: SMART removes eight victims as search enters fifth day

UALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Special Search and Rescue Team (SMART) has so far managed to remove a total of eight earthquake victims in Myanmar's Sagaing district, entering the fifth day of a search and rescue (SAR) operation in the country.

Singapore

Jail for Singaporean man who forged documents after breaking terms of Yayasan Mendaki study loan

SINGAPORE: A man studying in the US with the help of an interest-free loan from a community self-help organisation decided to switch to a course in Germany instead.

Football

Soccer-Olympiakos chairman Marinakis to stand trial over sports violence case

ATHENS (Reuters) - Olympiakos chairman Evangelos Marinakis and four board members will stand trial on misdemeanour charges as part of a probe into sports violence, legal sources said on Thursday following a decision by a Greek judicial council.

Football

Soccer-Arsenal lose injured defender Gabriel for rest of the season

(Reuters) -Arsenal defender Gabriel will sit out the rest of the season after having surgery on his hamstring, the Premier League club said on Thursday in a major blow to Mikel Arteta's side.

World

Former Putin challenger is declared bankrupt by Russian court

(Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin, who tried unsuccessfully to run against Vladimir Putin in a presidential election last year, was declared bankrupt by a Moscow court on Thursday, state media reported.

AseanPlus News

Nepal capital chokes as wildfires rage

KATHMANDU: Nepal's capital was blanketed in acrid smog Thursday (April 3) as wildfires across the country pushed air pollution levels to among the worst in the world.