“You don’t even have to look for it,” nine-year-old Anaqi said of the short videos he watches online. “It just shows up automatically, and it’s super interesting.”
That instinctive pull is familiar to his father, Firdaus Omar. The 39-year-old Malaysian civil servant said his two children – Anaqi and his six-year-old brother – could spend hours watching the kind of short, noisy, endlessly recommended clips now commonly dismissed online as “brain rot”.
He is worried about the effect of such…
New Zealand doctor bills US embassy for rising fuel costs: ‘payment expected within 7 days’
A New Zealand doctor has sent the US embassy in Wellington an invoice for his clinic’s fuel bills, saying that President Donald Trump and his administration should take responsibility for starting a war that has sent oil prices spiralling.
Shane Dunphy asked the embassy to reimburse him for the NZ$2,790.95 (US$1,600) in petrol vouchers he gave staff at Onslow Medical Centre in the capital so that they could travel to work, The Guardian newspaper reported.
“Because of the current fuel crisis,…
Human remains found on Thai ship attacked by Iran in Strait of Hormuz
Human remains have been found aboard a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last month, the vessel’s owner said on Friday, after three crew members were reported missing following the attack.
US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil supplies.
The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck in March while travelling through the strait after departing Khalifa port in the…
South African data breach highlights need for effective incident response
A recent cybersecurity breach at South Africa’s national statistical service casts a renewed spotlight on how organisations respond to cyber attacks, an expert has said.
Pharma companies face challenges and choices stemming from Middle East conflict
Pharmaceutical companies facing immediate challenges from the ongoing Middle East conflict could also face longer term choices over how to make their supply chains resilient to future geopolitical shocks.
HMRC whistleblower rewards scheme requires business response, say experts
Businesses in the UK should review and, if necessary, update how they handle employees’ concerns about corporate compliance to coincide with the implementation of a new whistleblower reward scheme by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), experts in investigating economic crime have said.
UAE Central Bank enhances SME customer protection framework
New rules being introduced by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) are expected to strengthen consumer rights and protections for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country, an expert has said.
Abolition of retentions in UK construction sector may have ‘unintended consequences’
Recent steps by the UK government to crack down on late payments and ban withholding of retention payments may have some unintended consequences for the construction sector.
Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?
Bali’s reputation as a carefree tropical escape has been shaken by a string of brutal crimes, including the kidnapping and dismemberment of a Ukrainian man and the fatal stabbing of a Dutch visitor.
The cases – some involving foreign suspects and bearing the hallmarks of organised or premeditated violence – have fuelled growing alarm, prompting residents and visitors to the Indonesian holiday island to ask: Is Bali becoming a stage for international crime?
Observers say the cases do not indicate…
Malaysian minister offers personal aid to family of man killed in drink-driving crash
A Malaysian minister visited and provided financial aid to the widow of a motorcyclist who was killed in a drink-driving accident that threatened to inflame racial tensions in the country.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke visited the family of the late Amirul Hafiz Omar, 33, on Sunday, accompanied by Road Transport Department Director General Aedy Fadly Ramli.
He gave Amirul’s 32-year-old widow, Nor Nadia Abdul Majid, money from his own pocket to help the family with expenses.
“However, no amount…