BEIJING (March 14): China and Russia stood by Iran on Friday after the United States demanded nuclear talks with Tehran, with senior Chinese and Russian diplomats saying dialogue should only resume based on "mutual respect" and all sanctions ought to be lifted.

China, Russia back Iran as Trump presses Tehran for nuclear talks

The US announced visa restrictions on current and former Thai officials involved in the return of 40 Uyghurs to China last month, a setback for the Southeast Asian nation striving to strike a balance between its two largest trade partners.

US slaps visa curbs on Thai officials for Uyghur deportation to China

Thailand aims to slash electricity costs by more than 25% by next year to emerge as a hub for data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, according to Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto chief of the ruling Pheu Thai Party.

Thaksin vows cheaper power to turn Thailand into data centre hub

SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Friday that Starship is set to depart for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Tesla humanoid bot Optimus.

Starship, carrying Tesla's bot, set for Mars by end-2026, says Musk

National energy firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) said on Saturday it is continuing discussions with multiple stakeholders, following a report that negotiations over the ongoing gas aggregator role with Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) have reached a deadlock.

Petronas says still in talks with Sarawak over gas aggregator role after media report on deadlock

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Saturday launched the Mara Madani Waqf, aimed at strengthening the Malay and Bumiputera agenda in the country.

PM launches Mara Madani Waqf aimed at strengthening Malay, Bumiputera agenda

The Electric Train Service (ETS) has achieved another milestone in its effort to expand the country’s rail network, with the launch of operations between the Butterworth, Padang Besar and Segamat stations on Saturday.

KTMB launches ETS service to Segamat

The 46th Asean Summit is scheduled to take place from May 26 to 27, while the Asean Summit with Dialogue Partners is set for late October, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

Tok Mat: 46th Asean Summit in May, Summit with Dialogue Partners in October

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has cautioned against any attempts to challenge the government by organising protests against the Urban Renewal Bill (URA).

PM warns against leveraging Malay identities to protest against Urban Renewal Bill

With less than 24 hours to go before the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) election, four candidates from Penang have announced their withdrawals to make way for and to fully support the party's "third-generation (3G) leadership".

Four withdraw from DAP's CEC election to make way for 'third-generation leadership'

In the spirit of the Holy month of Ramadan, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has expressed his willingness to engage in the resolution of a defamation suit he filed against Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Dzulkefly expresses hope for resolution of defamation suit over Najib's post on 'nepotism'

Incoming Intel Corp chief executive officer Lip-Bu Tan, who was named to the position this week, will receive compensation valued at about US$69 million (RM306.71 million)&nbsp;if he reaches targets over the coming years.&nbsp;

Intel’s Malaysian-born CEO gets pay package valued at about US$69m

Ailing oil and gas player&nbsp;Sapura Energy Bhd (KL:SAPNRG) has been in the news over the past week, but none of the flashes seem to paint a rosy picture of the company.

Rescue mission for Sapura Energy

With less than 24 hours to go before the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) election, four candidates from Penang have announced their withdrawals to make way for and to fully support the party's "third-generation (3G) leadership".

Trade wars, tariffs and sanctions have been transformed from economic tools into weapons in a broader struggle for dominance, fostering an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust that is eroding the foundations of international cooperation, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Trade wars, tariffs and sanctions weaponised in broader struggle for dominance, says Anwar

Apple Inc’s top executive overseeing its Siri virtual assistant told staff that delays to key features had been ugly and embarrassing, and a decision to publicly promote the technology before it was ready made matters worse.

Apple’s Siri chief calls AI delays ugly and embarrassing, promises fixes

US&nbsp;equities followed European stocks higher on Friday to end a bumpy week on a positive note, although safe-haven gold hit a record high, with investors still showing some signs of anxiety about the economic impact of tariffs.

Stocks rebound after S&P 500 correction; safe-haven gold touches record

The US&nbsp;Department of Energy (DOE) has designated ally South Korea a "sensitive" country, a spokesperson said on Friday, after the South Korean president briefly imposed martial law and amid talk of Seoul potentially developing nuclear weapons.

US has designated South Korea a 'sensitive' country amid nuclear concerns

The&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters.

Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries, memo says

Mark Carney has been sworn in as Canada’s 24th prime minister, bringing the former central banker to power in the middle of an explosive trade war with the US.

New Canadian PM Carney says there’s progress in US trade talks

The Trump administration said it was optimistic about the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, even as President Vladimir Putin appeared to reject US calls for immediate halt to the violence.

Trump optimistic about Ukraine ceasefire even as Putin balks

In the spirit of the Holy month of Ramadan, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has expressed his willingness to engage in the resolution of a defamation suit he filed against Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Prime Minister&nbsp;Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim&nbsp;has cautioned against any attempts to challenge the government by organising protests against the Urban Renewal Bill (URA).

At the first cabinet meeting of his second term, US President Donald Trump declared his intention to impose a sweeping 25% tariff on all imports from the European Union. But before opening a European front in his trade war, Trump might want to consider the continent’s economic malaise: the German...

After The Storm: Trump could Trigger a Eurozone Debt Crisis

The Home Ministry, through the Immigration Department, is in the process of extending the Migrant Repatriation Programme, which is set to conclude on March 31.

Home Ministry to extend migrant repatriation initiative

US Vice President JD Vance said he expected President Donald Trump to wrap up a deal for TikTok and keep the popular video-sharing app operating in the US ahead of a deadline next month.

Vance tells NBC ‘high-level’ TikTok deal expected by April deadline

The Senate passed a Republican spending plan on Friday, averting a US government shutdown hours before a midnight deadline while exacerbating a furious struggle within the Democratic party over how to confront President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

US averts govt shutdown as Senate passes GOP spending bill

National energy firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) said on Saturday it is continuing discussions with multiple stakeholders, following a report that negotiations over the ongoing gas aggregator role with Petroleum Sarawak Bhd (Petros) have reached a deadlock.

A total of 112 online fraud cases, resulting in losses of approximately RM1.03 million, were reported in Melaka between Jan 1 and March 13&nbsp;this year.

RM1.03m lost to online scams in Melaka year-to-date — exco

OpenAI and billionaire Elon Musk have agreed to fast-track a trial over OpenAI's for-profit shift, the latest turn in a&nbsp;grudge match&nbsp;between the world's richest person and OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman playing out publicly in court.

OpenAI and Musk agree to fast-track trial over for-profit shift

The Electric Train Service (ETS) has achieved another milestone in its effort to expand the country’s rail network, with the launch of operations between the Butterworth,&nbsp;Padang Besar and Segamat stations on Saturday.

Ryan Woo, Xiuhao Chen & Laurie Chen