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Songkran is cultural heritage, not water festival entertainment, says Malaysian Siam Association amid growing confusion

Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- KUALA LUMPUR, May 1 - Persatuan Siam Malaysia (PSM) president Sam Maark Suvanphet yesterday said that there is confusion between the Songkran celebration and water-based enterta... Read More


Trump says he is 'not satisfied' with Iran's latest proposal as ceasefire holds but talks freeze

WASHINGTON, May 2 -- US President Donald Trump said yesterday he was "not satisfied" with a new Iranian negotiating proposal, as peace talks remain frozen despite a weeks-long ceasefire. Iran deliver... Read More


Latest in Middle East war: Trump says hostilities in Iran 'terminated', 14 Iran soldiers die in demining op, Iran urges 'economic battle'

PARIS, May 2 -- The latest developments in the Middle East war: Trump says hostilities in Iran 'terminated' US President Donald Trump told top US lawmakers that hostilities in Iran had ended, after ... Read More


Gaza flotilla activists disperse after Israeli forces halt convoy off Crete, with many taken to Greece and Turkiye

ATHENS, May 2 -- Dozens of activists on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces off Crete left their boats yesterday, many taken to hospital on the Greek island while others were flown... Read More


Yeo Bee Yin backs Rain Rave festival, says 'moral policing' hurts tourism push

Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 - Former minister Yeo Bee Yin has defended the Rain Rave Water Music Festival (RRWMF) amid ongoing backlash, saying critics should not overreact and warned t... Read More


Baguettes take centre stage on France's Labour Day

PARIS, May 2 -- French bakeries sold crusty baguettes and flaky croissants with government backing yesterday, defying labour unions arguing that May 1 should remain a day of compulsory rest. Prime Mi... Read More


Kanye West's Albania performance marks push to turn Tirana into major cultural event hub

TIRANA, May 2 -- US rapper Kanye West will perform in the Albanian capital Tirana in July, Culture Minister Blendi Gonxhe told AFP yesterday, exulting that the country was on its way to becoming a des... Read More


'Our streets aren't bins': Abidjan youth fight flooding and filth with a war on trash, one drain at a time

Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- On a street in a working-class neighbourhood in Abidjan, a small group of young people scrubbed rubbish-clogged drains while barefoot children played nearby. The volunteers hav... Read More


Buried steps, lost history and a dog named Rudi: What conservators unearthed during Seri Negara's restoration

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 -- The 113-year-old Seri Negara finally reopened its doors to the wider public in December 2025 after an intensive 10-month restoration exercise. The round-the-clock restoration w... Read More


Former F1 driver turned Paralympic cycling champion Alex Zanardi dies aged 59

Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- ROME, May 3 - Alex Zanardi, the Italian Formula One driver who became a Paralympic cycling champion after losing both legs in an accident, has died aged 59, his family announced... Read More