Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by HikayatSalju

Samsung AI fridge bricked after update

HikayatSalju — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 17:18:22 +0800

Samsung has stopped a SmartThings update after Bespoke AI 4-Door fridges shut down when it was installed. As per reports, internal test software reached customers by mistake. Samsung has apologized and will send engineers over the Chuseok break.

Samsung has halted a SmartThings software update for its refrigerators after some units shut down entirely once the update was applied. The failures started on the afternoon of September 22 in South Korea, days before the Chuseok holiday.

Dozens of posts went up on Samsung Members, the company's own community forum — this was reported by Star News Korea and SBS News. Owners said they had tapped an update notification in SmartThings, and that the fridge stopped working right afterwards. One described coming home to find the interior light off, the touch panel unresponsive and the cold gone. Others said the display sat on "updating" and would not clear, and that pulling the power and restoring it did nothing. Several said their Chuseok food was going to have to be thrown out.

Most of the affected units are from the Bespoke AI 4-Door series launched from 2024 onwards. ZDNet Korea reports the cause as a system error that pushed internal test software to customers. Samsung told the outlet it had spotted the deployment error and stopped distribution at once.

Samsung has also apologized publicly for the disruption. It asked owners to book an engineer visit, since a technician has to check the unit in person, and advised moving food into ice boxes in the meantime. Some owners reported that the booking system itself was struggling under the load.

The repair timeline has become its own complaint. One customer said a service centre told them a visit would not be possible until after the holiday. Samsung Electronics Service says it will keep engineers and call centre staff on duty over the break for urgent cooling failures, with SBS citing September 26 and 27.

Samsung has not said how many refrigerators are affected, and it has not announced any compensation for spoiled food. Users in the meantime have resorted to stopgaps such as packing their fridges with dry ice.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-refrigera....1406447.0.html

Fernandes open to assistance for AirAsia

HikayatSalju — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 11:39:12 +0800

AirAsia Group Bhd co-founder and adviser Tony Fernandes says he would be open to assistance for the airline if offered, maintaining however that there are no discussions with the government on a bailout for Southeast Asia’s largest low-cost airline.

He said the airline survived the Covid-19 pandemic without government assistance and was now dealing with a sharp rise in fuel cost, adding that there was a distinction between a bailout and other forms of assistance that could help a company through a difficult period.

“For me, bailouts are for companies that have been mismanaged and are asking for a cash infusion,” he told podcast host Wong Shou Ning on her new Common Sens programme.

Fernandes rejected the notion that AirAsia fell into that category.

Asked whether he would accept help if offered, Fernandes said: “If someone wants to help us out and they think it’s good for the country, and I think it’s good for the people of AirAsia, why would I not do it?”

Fernandes said AirAsia sought other forms of assistance, including working with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd to reduce ground-handling and other costs.

He said Petronas was extending credit to the airline, but did not provide details of the amount of credit or its terms.

Fernandes also said AirAsia was working to ride out the crisis by cutting costs and adjusting its operations to cope with high fuel prices while using AI to reduce fuel consumption and improve revenue.

He said AirAsia’s cost-cutting measures included returning aircraft that consume more fuel, ending routes that are unprofitable at current oil prices, and scaling back growth in Indonesia and the Philippines.

He said AirAsia had to operate on the assumption that oil prices could remain high and “cut our cloth accordingly”.

His comments come days after he denied reports that AirAsia needed government assistance, saying at a media briefing on Sept 18 that the airline remained sustainable and had not asked Putrajaya for a bailout.

Questions over AirAsia’s finances followed a Reuters report on Sept 16 that the government had spoken to Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air as part of contingency planning while monitoring AirAsia’s financial position. Fernandes subsequently challenged suggestions that the airline needed a rescue.

AirAsia reported a net loss of RM831 million in the second quarter amid higher fuel costs and foreign exchange losses. It had RM954 million in cash and bank balances at the end of June.

Fernandes has said the airline expects to raise more than US$1 billion, mainly to refinance existing debt.

Separately, he said he had been asked to provide personal guarantees and extend his contract if he wanted to secure a loan, but he did not identify who made those requests.

He added that while he wanted to move on, “right now, the market wants me to stay”.

Despite AirAsia’s current financial pressures, Fernandes said he believed the airline could recover and emerge in a stronger position.

“We’re going to give it a good shot. I believe we have a good shot at coming out of this stronger as we have weathered many crises before,” he said.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/...o-bailout-talks

Trump renames AI to SI Super Intelligence

HikayatSalju — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:04:03 +0800

[reddit]/r/ArtificialInteligence/comments/1wncbbe/trump_tells_the_un_he_is_officially_changing_the/[/reddit]

Anwar reminds us that he suffered for us

HikayatSalju — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:10:47 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/anwaribrahim/status/2102063536126271918[/twt]

Nearly two-thirds Malaysians make RM2,200 or less

HikayatSalju — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:57:39 +0800

Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia’s wage earners were in semi- and low-skilled jobs in 2025, with median monthly wages of RM2,223 or less, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

Semi-skilled workers, who accounted for 55.6% of wage earners, had a median monthly wage of RM2,223, while low-skilled workers, who make up 7.8% of wage earners, earned RM1,758. Skilled workers, by comparison, earned a median RM5,057. Skilled workers make up 36.6% of total wage recipients.

Low-skilled workers also recorded the weakest wage growth among the three groups, with their median pay rising 6.3% in 2025, compared with increases of 8.4% for semi-skilled workers and 8.1% for skilled workers.

The figures point to a wide wage gap across skill levels, with skilled workers earning nearly three times as much as low-skilled workers.

Skilled occupations include managers, professionals, and technicians and associate professionals. Semi-skilled jobs cover clerical, service and sales, trades, agricultural and machine operator roles, while low-skilled work mainly comprises elementary occupations.

Among skilled occupations, managers remained the highest paid, with their median monthly wage rising 3.3% to RM6,186 in 2025 from RM5,990 a year earlier. Professionals were close behind at RM6,124.

Overall, the median monthly wage for Malaysian citizens rose 5.3% to RM2,940 in 2025, while the mean increased 4.1% to RM3,803.

Wage growth was particularly strong in rural areas, where the median monthly wage jumped nearly 20% to RM2,035 in 2025 from RM1,698 a year earlier, marking the strongest annual increase since at least 2020. By comparison, the urban median rose 6% to RM3,022.

Growth also varied by qualification. Diploma holders saw their median wages rise 10.7% to RM3,779, considerably faster than the increase among degree holders, although degree holders continued to earn more overall.

The DOSM said stronger productivity, skills development and the creation of higher-value jobs would be important to support sustainable wage growth.

In 2018, Bank Negara Malaysia defined a living wage in Kuala Lumpur for a single adult at RM2,700, a couple with no children at RM4,500 per month and a couple with two children at RM6,500 per month. A living wage is the income a household needs to afford an acceptable standard of living, participate in society and live free from severe financial stress.

https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/818785

IShowSpeed kena anjing gigit

HikayatSalju — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:55:12 +0800

[reddit]/r/SipsTea/comments/1wm2xt8/streamer_ishowspeed_got_bitten_by_dog_for/[/reddit]

Firefight on Mexican streets

HikayatSalju — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:21:09 +0800

[reddit]/r/CrazyFuckingVideos/comments/1wlc1pr/mexican_cartels_gun_battle_with_armored_trucks/[/reddit]

Anwar urges Malaysians to manage energy use

HikayatSalju — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 09:54:16 +0800

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on the people to play their part in addressing the increasingly worrying haze situation, while the government continues to seek solutions in the interest of all.

In a Facebook post, Anwar said he also performed special prayers (solat hajat) with members of the congregation after Friday prayers at Surau Nur Perdana, Precinct 10 in Putrajaya, yesterday, seeking Allah SWT’s help for the country to recover from the disaster soon.

The prime minister also urged the public to use energy wisely.

“I also want to urge all of us to manage our energy consumption as prudently as possible at this time so that each of us can play our part, while I, on behalf of the government, continue to work to safeguard and protect everyone,” he said.

Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan called on all mosques and surau nationwide to hold special prayers and offer supplications for Allah SWT’s protection from the haze affecting the country.

The call follows haze affecting several areas, with the public advised to take measures to reduce health risks arising from air pollution.

According to the Malaysian Air Pollutant Index Management System portal, 32 areas nationwide recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index readings as of 5pm today, with Sarawak recording the highest number of affected areas at eight, namely Kuching (174), Samarahan (167), Serian IPD (166), Sibu (162), Bintulu (161), Sarikei (155), Sri Aman (154) and Kapit (153).

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...olutions/235722

Southern Thailand’s insurgent group wants power

HikayatSalju — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 21:39:02 +0800

Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, the leader of the main Malay-Muslim separatist group vowed this week to keep fighting until its goals are achieved.

“This struggle will continue until the end of time,” Nikmatullah Seri, spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, told AFP in a rare interview.

“As long as our objectives remain unachieved, we will continue to fight.”

Militants from BRN have fought for an independent Islamic nation in Thailand’s Muslim-majority south since the 1960s, although the current unrest began in 2004.

Thailand has been negotiating with the BRN under Malaysian mediation since 2013, with the most recent high-level talks taking place in December.

But the process has repeatedly stalled, and Bangkok suspended dialogue in July following an attack that killed five soldiers.

“The objective remains the same, which is the demand for independence,” Nikmatullah said in a hotel in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The southern region was once part of the former Malay-Muslim Patani sultanate, but was annexed by Buddhist-majority Thailand, then Siam, in the early 1900s.

Since 2004, more than 7,000 people – militants, Thai security forces and civilians – have been killed, according to monitor Deep South Watch.

Nikmatullah neither confirmed nor denied the BRN’s responsibility for a recent flare-up in violence, but said it was the “driving force behind a struggle”.

He said the group has proposed a power-sharing arrangement with Bangkok, and implied the BRN would take office without elections.

“We want political power. That is, the BRN should be able to govern” over the region, spread across four Thai provinces near the Malaysia border.

It would be administered by Syariah police and courts following Islamic law — although only for Muslims, he said.

There would be a “transitional period of five or 10 years during which we govern”, he said.

“After that, we will hand it over to the people to choose democratically.”

Nikmatullah said ethnic Malay Muslims face “obvious discrimination” against their language and culture, and “have never felt safe” — something Thailand has rejected.

Bangkok’s lead negotiator, Thanut Suvarnananda, told local media in August there was “no talk of secession at the negotiating table”.

Instead, Thanut – appointed in April – said ceasefire zones and reducing checkpoints and other security measures that disrupted daily life were under consideration.

Since 2005, the region has been administered under special security laws allowing Thai authorities to detain suspects without charge and impose curfews, drawing criticism from rights groups.

Nikmatullah said the BRN’s military wing recorded 1,000 fighter deaths over the past two decades, but said “warfare was a last resort”.

“We do not target vulnerable groups — our target is the government,” said the negotiator, who was born in southern Thailand and joined the BRN aged 18.

Last month, scores of coordinated nighttime attacks injured several people and damaged government property and private businesses.

In July, five Thai soldiers died in a shooting and bomb attack at a checkpoint that also injured six civilians, according to Thai authorities.

Nikmatullah would not say if the BRN was involved: “We are not intelligence agents for the colonisers.”

But the soldiers’ deaths caused Thailand to put dialogue “on hold”, the foreign ministry told AFP, while stressing it remained committed to the process.

In a statement, it said it was focused on a three-pronged approach to the south, “namely socio-economic development, maintenance of security and peace dialogue”.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2026/0...he-table/235625

Asian rise in Harvard after end affirmative action

HikayatSalju — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:12:27 +0800

The percentage of first-year Black students matriculating at Harvard College declined for a second consecutive year in the wake of new, court-driven admissions policies, while the percentage of Asian American students has increased, according to demographic figures for the Class of 2029 released on Thursday. Meanwhile, international student enrollment at the College remains steady, despite the Trump administration’s multipronged efforts to impose travel restrictions on foreign students and faculty.

According to data shared by the College, 1,675 students from 50 U.S. states and 92 countries make up the class of 2029, which arrived on campus this fall. Of those students, 11.5 percent self-identified as African American or Black, compared to 14 percent in the class of 2028.

The percentage of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino also declined compared to the class of 2028, to 11 percent from 16 percent. Forty-one percent of students identified as Asian American—a notable increase from 37 percent in the class of 2028 and 29.9 percent in the class of 2027, the last class admitted before the nationwide ban on affirmative action. Eight percent of the class chose not to report their race or ethnicity. Students who self-identified as more than one race were counted in the percentages of each of their chosen categories. Harvard did not release a figure for students categorized as white.

After the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which barred race-conscious college admissions, the University does not consider race or ethnicity in its review of applications. However, students can choose to self-report their race, with racial demographics made available after the admissions process is complete.

Forty-five percent of students in the new class will not pay any tuition to attend Harvard, thanks to a significant expansion in undergraduate financial aid announced this spring. Under the new policy, students with family incomes of $100,000 or below attend the College free of charge, and students with family incomes of $200,000 or below receive free tuition. Harvard’s annual financial aid budget, according to University figures, is $275 million.

Among the class of 2029, 21 percent of students are estimated by the University to be eligible for federal Pell grants (similar to 20.6 percent in the class of 2028). First-generation students make up 20 percent of the class.

“Even amid shifting economic realities, our commitment to access and opportunity remains unwavering,” said Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi Hoekstra in a statement accompanying the class of 2029 data. “That nearly half of this class will attend Harvard tuition-free fills me with immense pride and optimism for the future they will help shape.”

Amid widespread concerns about international students’ ability to return to campus this fall, 90.3 percent of international students offered a spot in the class of 2029 accepted, “with only eight choosing to defer their admission,” according to Harvard’s press release. International students make up 15 percent of the class, a small decline from 16 percent in the class of 2028.

The class of 2029 was the first cohort since the COVID-19 pandemic required to submit SAT or ACT test scores after the Faculty of Arts and Sciences reinstated mandatory testing in the spring of 2024. As a result, College officials said, Harvard saw an anticipated decrease in the total number of applicants, receiving 47,893 applications for the class of 2029, compared to 54,008 for the class of 2028 and 56,937 for the class of 2027.

With 2,003 students admitted, this year’s acceptance rate was 4.2 percent. The yield rate—the percentage of students who accepted the admissions offer and enrolled at Harvard—was 83.6 percent, consistent with the past several years.

https://www.harvardmagazine.com/university-...-data-ethnicity

Filial obligation law likely next year

HikayatSalju — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:08:32 +0800

The proposed filial law that would legally require children to care for their ageing parents is still under consultation and is likely to be tabled early next year, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said.

Kulasegaran said he had hoped the Bill could be tabled by October this year, but the timeframe was too short as the government still needed to consult non-governmental organisations, relevant departments and other stakeholders.

“I’m hoping for this year. But probably, it looks like early next year,” he told reporters after attending the Program Sumbangan Prihatin Hari Malaysia at Trends Restaurant here.

Kulasegaran also explained that the proposed law did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Law and Institutional Reform Ministry, but the ministry overseeing family and welfare matters, with his ministry collaborating on the matter.

He said the proposed Family Support Bill would address situations where elderly parents were no longer working while their adult children, including professionals such as lawyers, doctors, politicians and engineers, failed to provide financial or other support.

He said Malaysia had studied similar laws in countries including Singapore and India, where legislation allows parents who are not supported by their children to seek a court order requiring their children to provide financial support.

“This is not an unusual proposal. In several countries, including India, Singapore and others, we have studied what kind of legislation could be adopted in Malaysia,” he said.

Kulasegaran said the government could not introduce such legislation arbitrarily as it first needed to examine related laws and conduct various consultations before deciding on the appropriate course of action.

“The process has already been carried out and is ongoing,” he said, adding that he hoped the proposal could be brought forward despite the limited timeframe between October and December.

He said the need for such legislation had also been raised by elderly parents.

Kulasegaran also said he had observed that people who failed to care for their parents could later face similar difficulties when seeking care from their own children.

On mandatory caning, Kulasegaran said the matter was also still under consultation following an impact assessment meeting he chaired recently.

He said the government had received expert opinions and various recommendations on the matter on Tuesday, but could not disclose the details as they were covered under the Official Secrets Act.

“We have had discussions with the Attorney General’s Chambers and various other parties. I am in charge of the meeting,” he said.

Asked whether the abolition of caning was among the recommendations, Kulasegaran declined to comment.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...ufTdoDAuIQIwcqQ

BUDI Diesel subsidy eligibility now transferable

HikayatSalju — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 10:03:17 +0800

The government has agreed to expand the BUDI Madani Diesel (BUDI Diesel) eligibility transfer facility, allowing registered owners of private diesel vehicles to transfer their eligibility to any eligible actual user, effective immediately.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said previously, the transfer of eligibility was restricted to immediate family members.

“Although we announced BUDI95 (BUDI Madani RON95) at 300 litres per month on the eve of National Day on August 31, pickup and jeep owners — an issue prevalent in Sabah and Sarawak — were still voicing their grievances, so we raised the subsidised diesel limit to 400 litres per month.

“But this is the meaning of democracy — we listen. There were still some concerns, and ministers from Sabah and Sarawak raised these concerns, so in addition to last month’s announcement, the government has agreed to improve BUDI Diesel,” he said at the national-level Malaysia Day 2026 celebrations at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here last night.

In addition, Anwar said registered owners of more than one private diesel vehicle were allowed to transfer the monthly BUDI Diesel eligibility of those vehicles to a maximum of three other vehicles.

According to the Prime Minister, the transfer of monthly eligibility under the BUDI Diesel initiative is subject to an appeal application.

The celebration, themed ‘Malaysia Madani: Kesejahteraan Dinikmati’, was also attended by the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sarawak, Tun Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. Also present were Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry (MOF) said in a statement that approved recipients would receive their own monthly eligibility to purchase subsidised RON95, subsidised diesel, or a combination of both.

However, the transfer of eligibility does not involve any change in vehicle ownership.

“Registered owners can transfer their eligibility to any Malaysian citizen holding a valid MyKad who is eligible for BUDI95 and is the actual user of the designated vehicle.

“Once the application is approved, the recipient can use their MyKad to purchase subsidised diesel based on the diesel vehicle assigned to them,” the statement read.

MOF said registered owners with more than one private diesel vehicle could transfer the monthly eligibility of those vehicles to a maximum of three other individuals, subject to the total number of registered diesel vehicles.

At the same time, registered owners will retain the monthly eligibility for any private diesel vehicles that have not been transferred, for their own use.

“For example, if Mr Alias owns four private diesel vehicles, he can transfer the monthly eligibility of those vehicles to the actual users, such as his wife, child, and employee. Mr Alias and the three individuals will each receive their respective monthly eligibility based on the type of vehicle used.

“For eligible private diesel jeeps or pickup trucks, Mr Alias, as the registered owner, must apply for an additional 100 litres per month, subject to specified conditions, before an application to transfer eligibility can be made,” MOF added.

In situations where an owner transfers all three diesel vehicles owned, MOF said the registered owner will only be eligible for the BUDI95 subsidy.

“For each eligible vehicle, the transfer is only allowed once. Once approved, the eligibility cannot be transferred back to the registered owner or to another individual, except under specified special circumstances.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...ys-anwar/235462

Canada invited to be associate member of EU

HikayatSalju — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:34:45 +0800

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday said the European Union is opening the door for Canada to become the first associate member of the 27-nation bloc.

The announcement marks a significant change in EU policy and signals a major deepening of ties between Brussels and Ottawa.

Speaking in her annual state of the European Union address in Strasbourg, France, the EU chief said the bloc wants to bring the relationship with Canada “to the highest level possible.”

“And, dear Mark, I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships so I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union,” Von der Leyen said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who was in attendance for the speech and is due to address EU lawmakers on Thursday, had previously said Ottawa was keen to pursue a “unique security and economic alliance” with Europe, but not full membership.

Canada is currently locked in a bitter trade war with the U.S. and has pledged to match President Donald Trump’s tariffs dollar for dollar.

Von der Leyen said the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” and pledged to work together on issues such as AI, climate change, geopolitics and Arctic security.

The EU and Canada already have a free trade agreement, one that eliminated 99% of all tariff lines when it provisionally came into force in 2017. The pact is known as the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA.

“We will move from CETA to an alliance for the future, to create a common prosperity and economic security space,” Von der Leyen said.

The EU has previously been reluctant to entertain the prospect of flexible membership categories, notably when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pushed for the EU to consider associate membership for Ukraine earlier in the year.

Asked whether Von der Leyen’s push to embrace Canada as the EU’s first associate member was history in the making, Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding said: “I think this is a big step, indeed.”

“Europe is trying to openly form new partnerships or deepen partnerships with all countries in the world that are sort of like-minded,” Schmieding told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday.

“It is not necessarily against the U.S., but it is clearly in favor of making us less dependent on the U.S. and less dependent on China, and that deeper partnership with other countries, like-minded democracies, is actually something we see in the economic re-arm,” he added.

In early June, Finnish President Alexander Stubb outlined his vision for a much larger European Union, saying the bloc should “think big” to project power on the global stage. As part of this, Stubb said the EU might consider increasing its membership to 40 states and named Canada, the U.K., Turkey, Norway and Iceland as potential candidates to join.

“Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?” Stubb said on June 3, referring to Trump’s ambitions to annex Canada.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/16/canada-eu-a...-der-leyen.html

Please pray for Indonesia

HikayatSalju — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:24:08 +0800

[reddit]/r/indonesia/comments/1wgvht6/current_view_in_palangkaraya_central_kalimantan/?share_id=ag4Sq9PvNtqBoADKrxWBh&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1[/reddit]

Over 100k people in Japan age 100+

HikayatSalju — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:28:38 +0800

The number of people aged 100 or more in Japan has exceeded 100,000 for the first time, according to the health ministry.

Figures show Japan is now home to 107,677 centenarians, the highest number in the world, of whom 88% are women. The oldest woman is Kishimoto Fuyo, a 114-year-old from Kyoto City and the oldest man is Kato Hikaru, a 112-year-old from Kumamoto.

Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said he was "delighted that so many people are living long, healthy and active lives", citing progress in medicine and technology.

But Kenichiri also warned of the challenge the country faces in maintaining a sustainable social security system.

Experts put the long lives of the Japanese down to several factors, including a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

The island nation's cuisine predominantly consists of fish, vegetables, and rice - and less saturated fat than many Western diets.

Older people also regularly walk, use public transport, cycle and stretch.

Japan has been aging for years and sales of adult nappies have been higher than those for babies for more than a decade.

Companies have also developed new products for the older population, including a powered exoskeleton to support moving various parts of the body and eyewear that automatically adjusts its focus.

For a population to replace itself, each woman needs to give birth to 2.1 children on average. Last year Japan's total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.14.

The total population is estimated to drop to 87 million by 2070, representing a 30% decline from its peak of 128 million in 2008, according to data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security research.

Residents aged 65 and older currently make up around 30% of the population and are expected to make up nearly 40% by 2070.

Japanese authorities have called the trend an "existential crisis" with Prime Minister Sanae Takichi describing the decline as a "quiet emergency".

In 2025 Japan's total population decreased in all 47 prefectures but two, and the rate of decline is accelerating.

The government's many programmes and subsidies to encourage young people to have more children do not appear to be boosting birth rates.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cmzezj5e18xxo

KK Mart stores to become go-to safety points

HikayatSalju — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:43:06 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/NewsBFM/status/2099807974281941041[/twt]

Cyberattack against Tanjung Pelepas Port

HikayatSalju — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:22:54 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/NewsBFM/status/2099443745104220486[/twt]

PMX nyanyi di India

HikayatSalju — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 10:16:45 +0800

[twt]https://twitter.com/RT_on_X/status/2098842394917519855[/twt]

UMNO-PAS eyes million-strong unity rally

HikayatSalju — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 21:31:45 +0800

The presence of PAS leaders at this year’s Umno general assembly signals the potential for Malaysia’s two largest Malay-based parties to cooperate again, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

The Umno president said the gesture indicated that the room for friendship between both parties was now wide open and must be further strengthened before the GE16.

“God willing, we will be open for a tahaluf siyasi with them,” Zahid said in his winding-up speech.

The Arabic term means political understanding.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan led a delegation of his party leaders to the Umno assembly opening yesterday.

Zahid also instructed Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh to work with his counterparts in PAS and gather over a million Malay-Muslims for a mammoth rally he dubbed “Himpunan Perpaduan Ummah”.

“Akmal, I am giving you the mandate. Work with them well. Mobilise roadshows in every state in the days leading to the mammoth rally,” he said.

After the 2018 general election, Umno and PAS entered a short-lived political cooperation called Muafakat Nasional and were part of the federal government led by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, followed by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob between March 2020 and October 2022.

The Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition later switched support to Pakatan Harapan and formed the unity government after the 15th general election in November 2022.

Both Umno and PAS currently govern Negeri Sembilan together, after all parties fell short of securing a simple majority in the recent state polls — a power-sharing arrangement that Zahid’s remarks today suggests he wants to see replicated on a bigger scale ahead of GE16.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...-of-ge16/234985

Arrested for sexually abusing koi fish

HikayatSalju — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 17:58:06 +0800

Bangkok police arrested a man yesterday, September 10, in a koi fish abuse case, after CCTV recorded him entering a private pond and sexually abusing the fish.

Police identified the suspect as 51 year old Sutthichai, also known as Tong.

According to police, the incident took place at about 8pm on September 7 outside a house in the Thung Song Hong area. CCTV from the property showed a man cycling up to the pond at 8.30pm, looking around, then exposing himself and trying to catch koi as they swam.

At 8.38pm the footage showed him undressing, climbing into the pond and sexually abusing the fish before returning them to the water.

A housekeeper and the owner then found him, and he cycled off. The owner gave chase but fell and was injured, and later filed a report at Thung Song Hong Police Station.

Investigators believed the man lived nearby because he had fled by bicycle. Officers found him yesterday afternoon walking in the Lak Si area, still in the clothes from the night of the incident. He tried to run but was caught and detained.

During questioning, Sutthichai admitted to the act, telling police he had gone to wash but became aroused when he saw the fish, and had abused them twice.

He said he had no money to go out and no partner, and that he had done the same with other fish before, choosing koi over pleco fish, which have spines, because the koi caused him less pain.

He also told police he had been jailed by Bang Khen police years earlier after doing the same to a dog, and had carried out similar acts with a doll he found in rubbish. He admitted using drugs, saying he could not afford to buy them and used drugs he had picked up.

The pond’s owner, Bobby, told reporters he had kept the koi for seven to eight years. He often saw Sutthichai walking in the area, sometimes stopping to wash, and thought nothing of it.

Bobby had been puzzled when his koi began dying one or two at a time with bent bodies, which he first blamed on the fish fighting.

Read the original article at: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/crime/man-j...caught-koi-fish