NEW YORK, Dec 2 — Ever dreamt of channelling your inner Jacques Cousteau and hunting for treasure? Well, Jon Collins-Black is making that dream a reality — but with a twist. His new book, There’s Treasure Inside, isn’t just a fun read; it’s a treasure map that’s sending adventurers across the United States on a thrilling quest to find five hidden chests, each containing riches worth over US$2 million (RM9 million). Collins-Black, a lifelong fantasy fan who grew up immersed in games like Dungeons & Dragons, told CNN that he has always been fascinated by the idea of treasure hunts. By 2015, after a successful career as a musician and entrepreneur, he was ready for a new challenge. Inspired by Forrest Fenn’s famous 2010 treasure hunt, Collins-Black set out to create something that would ignite the imagination of treasure seekers nationwide. “I wanted to have the chests spread out to...

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Floods across the country have forced 136,926 people from 41,302 families into temporary shelters, with Kelantan and Terengganu bearing the brunt of the disaster, according to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) InfoBencana app’s latest update this morning. As of 9am Kelantan remains the most affected state, with 86,163 evacuees from 26,844 families housed in 252 temporary relief centres (PPS). The floods, which began on November 24 in Kelantan, have impacted nine districts, with river levels still dangerously high. In Terengganu, where floods started on November 22, 271 relief centres are accommodating 37,892 victims from 10,546 families across eight districts. Both states continue to face challenging conditions, with authorities working to manage large-scale evacuations and provide essential support. In Kedah, floods have displaced 8,463 people from 2,610 families, with 49 relief centres active across six districts. Negeri Sembilan has seven relief centres operating since November 29,...

WASHINGTON, DEC 1 — A dangerous weather phenomenon called a bomb cyclone that occurs in mid-latitudes — between Earth’s tropics and the polar regions — can bring strong and damaging winds, torrential rains, heavy snowfall, flooding and frigid temperatures. It displays some traits of a hurricane, but it is not one. Here is an explanation of bomb cyclones. What is a bomb cyclone? A bomb cyclone, also referred to as explosive cyclogenesis or bombogenesis, is a mid-latitude cyclone that has rapidly intensified. A cyclone is a low-pressure weather system — one where the atmospheric pressure is lower at its centre than in surrounding areas — with winds rotating inward. It circulates in a counterclockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere. A bomb cyclone’s winds can reach hurricane force — 74 miles (119km) per hour — and stronger. These storms tend to form during...

SHAH ALAM, Dec 1 — Newly-elected Parti Pribumi Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu today said the party will defend president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) chairman. Muhyiddin’s position has come into dispute from PAS, whose spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin said the Islamist party must now lead. “I am grateful for the special proposal brought by Armada,” he said, referring to the youth wing of Bersatu. “I am confident that all of us, the representatives as well as the grassroots of Bersatu, will continue to uphold and defend the position of the president as the chairman of PN,” he said in his closing remarks at the seventh Bersatu annual general meeting here. Ahmad Faizal emphasised that PN operated as a unified coalition, highlighting the mutual respect among its leaders and component parties towards the coalition’s president. “This mutual respect will be the key to unlocking...

SHAH ALAM, Nov 30 — At its seventh annual general meeting (AGM) today, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia delegates voiced their support for party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as the prime ministerial candidate for Opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the next general election. Bersatu members emphasised the coalition’s foundation under their party’s leadership, asserting that Muhyiddin is the backbone of PN. “Each party has its own stance. PAS’ position is based on their majority of seats in the Dewan Rakyat, and we acknowledge that,” said Khairul Haniza Ibrahim, 53, deputy division chief of Kuala Pilah Bersatu. “However, from Bersatu’s perspective, we must not forget that Perikatan Nasional was founded by our president. The goal of Perikatan Nasional is to take over the government and return to Putrajaya.” Khairul Haniza Datuk Ibrahim speaks to Malay Mail during the Bersatu annual general meeting at Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) Shah Alam November...

PASIR MAS, Nov 30 — Assistance in the form of food supplies and necessities to nine temporary relief centres (PPS) that have been cut off from land routes will be provided using helicopters belonging to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM). Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said that so far, the seven disconnected PPS are in Pengkalan Kubur, Tumpat, and two relief centres in Lubuk Jong and Rantau Panjang. “The frequency of deliveries will depend on the needs at the PPS, and it is likely that we will request assistance from the fire department’s air unit if the helicopters from the PDRM are insufficient.” “Yesterday, a PDRM helicopter arrived in Kelantan, along with heavy vehicles from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and others, as announced by the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday,” Mohd Yusoff told reporters at a press conference at the Disaster Operations...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 — The ringgit is expected to trade within the range of 4.4275 to 4.4475 versus the American dollar next week, with a slight upside bias, on anticipation of a US interest rate cut in December. The US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next policy meeting is scheduled for Dec 17-18, 2024. SPI Asset Management managing director Stephen Innes said predicting the US dollar’s movement next week remains challenging, especially with US President-elect Donald Trump’s unpredictable actions. “Markets currently interpret his tariff threats as a negotiation strategy to secure concessions from trading partners, rather than an outright declaration of a trade battle,” he told Bernama. Innes said that attention will also turn to US jobs data on Dec 6. “If the report meets expectations or falls short, it will likely solidify the prospects of a December Fed rate cut. Conversely, a strong report could introduce some uncertainty and support...

NEW YORK, Nov 29 — Parades, football and feasts were on the menu yesterday as Americans celebrated the annual Thanksgiving holiday, with stormy skies and the bitterly fought election hanging over many families’ festivities. Despite a driving rain in New York, crowds still showed up to watch as ornate floats and mega-balloons made their way to Macy’s, the iconic department store and sponsor of the annual parade. Similar events were held in cities across the United States to mark the holiday, which has been celebrated for centuries and codified in 1941 as falling on the fourth Thursday of November. Viewed as a moment for families to get together — typically around a big meal starring a roast turkey — it is the busiest travel season of the year. A record of nearly 80 million people were expected to hit the roads, fly or use some other method to travel over...

TOKYO, Nov 29 — The PlayStation has been a colossal consumer hit, but three decades ago, its creator Ken Kutaragi struggled to convince both game-makers and his bosses at Sony that his console would be a winner. “Everyone told us we would fail,” Kutaragi told AFP in a rare interview. With revolutionary 3D graphics and grown-up titles like Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Solid, the device first hit shelves on December 3, 1994. Before that, Nintendo’s NES console and similar gaming machines were considered “children’s toys”, the 74-year-old Kutaragi said. Popular games like Super Mario Bros were two-dimensional, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) was a rarity even in Hollywood. “Most of the executives (at Sony) were fiercely opposed,” fearing for the Japanese giant’s reputation as a producer of high-end electronics, Kutaragi said. Japanese game-makers gave a “frosty response” too, as creating 3D games in real time seemed “unthinkable” at the time....

JAKARTA, Nov 28 — The death toll from flooding triggered by intense rains in western Indonesia has risen to 27, after a landslide buried vehicles, a rescue official said Thursday. Floods and landslides hit four districts in the North Sumatra province over the weekend, killing at least 20 people, according to the national disaster agency’s tally. The latest landslide hit a remote road in the Deli Serdang district of North Sumatra province on Tuesday following spells of torrential rain. “As of today, seven people died from the landslide incident in the Sembahe (village),” Sariman Sitorus, a spokesman for the local search and rescue agency, told AFP. Several of the dead were extracted from a tourist bus that passed through the area when the landslide occurred, he added. Heavy equipment has been deployed to help with the search operation. At least 16 people were injured by the landslide, Sariman said, citing...