THE two-week-old federal government shutdown may cost the U.S. economy as much as $15 billion a week in lost output, a Treasury official said late on Wednesday, correcting an earlier statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that put the cost at up to $15 billion per day. Bessent used the incorrect estimate in two separate appearances earlier on Wednesday, while urging Democrats to “be heroes” and side with Republicans to end it. A Treasury official said the cost estimate was based on a report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Bessent told a news conference that the shutdown was starting to “cut into muscle” of the U.S. economy. The wave of investment into the U.S. economy, including into artificial intelligence, is sustainable and is only getting started, but the federal government shutdown is increasingly an impediment, Bessent said. “There is pent-up demand, but then President (Donald) Trump has unleashed this boom with his policies,“ Bessent said at a CNBC event held on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington. “The only thing slowing us down here is this government shutdown,“ Bessent said. He said that incentives in the Republican tax law and Trump’s tariffs would keep the investment boom going and fuel continued growth. “I think we can be in a period like the late 1800s when railroads came in, like the 1990s when we got the internet and office tech boom,“ Bessent said. US DEFICIT HAS SHRUNK, BESSENT SAYS Bessent also said that the U.S. deficit for the 2025 fiscal year ended September 30 was smaller than the $1.833 trillion deficit posted in the prior fiscal year. He did not provide a figure, but said that the deficit-to-GDP ratio could come down to the 3% range in coming years. The Treasury Department has not yet reported the annual deficit figure. The Congressional Budget Office estimated last week that the U.S. fiscal 2025 deficit fell only slightly to $1.817 trillion despite a $118 billion jump in customs revenue from Trump’s tariffs. “The deficit-to-GDP, which is the important number, now has a five in front of it,“ Bessent said at the CNBC event. Asked if he wanted to see a three at the start of the deficit-to-GDP ratio, Bessent said, “Yes, it’s still possible.” He added that the ratio would come down if the U.S. could “grow more, spend less, and constrain spending.” - Reuters

• theSun
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 37 dakika

In early October, Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications proudly announced a new “achievement”: nearly 11,000 Facebook posts had been removed in the third quarter of 2025, along with 705 YouTube videos and 798 TikTok clips. According to the state-run Tuoi Tre Online, these contents were deemed “anti-Party, anti-State or harmful to national security.” The […] The post Meta’s Vietnam playbook: comply, delete and keep quiet appeared first on Asia Times .

• Asia Times
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 38 dakika

KUALA LUMPUR : Pusat Kecemerlangan Kesihatan Mental Kebangsaan (NCAM) memainkan peranan penting dalam memimpin dan menyelaras usaha menangani isu kesihatan mental dalam kalangan murid sekolah di seluruh negara. NCAM, yang beroperasi di bawah Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM), tampil sebagai agensi utama dalam menyediakan sokongan psikososial, intervensi krisis serta membina jaringan kerjasama dengan Kementerian Pendidikan (KPM), khususnya ... Read more The post NCAM teraju usaha tangani kesihatan mental murid appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 38 dakika

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Malaysia should prevent teenagers from having social media accounts until the age of 16, in...

• Malay Mail
• 3 gün, 5 saat, 39 dakika

WASHINGTON: Presiden Amerika Syarikat (AS), Donald Trump mendakwa Perdana Menteri India, Narendra Modi memberi jaminan India tidak akan lagi membeli minyak dari Russia. “Saya tidak gembira dengan tindakan India membeli minyak dari Russia, dan beliau (Modi) memberi jaminan kepada saya hari ini  mereka tidak akan lagi membeli minyak dari Russia. “Itu satu langkah besar. Kini, ... Read more The post Modi janji henti import minyak dari Russia – Trump appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 39 dakika

Pesawat yang membawa Setiausaha Pertahanan Amerika Syarikat (AS) Pete Hegseth mendarat di sebuah lapangan terbang tentera di Britain pada Rabu malam selepas mengisytiharkan kecemasan.

• Astro AWANI
• 3 gün, 5 saat, 39 dakika

IPOH: Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad wants job opportunities created through new developments in the state to be filled by local workers rather than foreigners. Read full story

• StarBiz
• 3 gün, 5 saat, 40 dakika

KOTA KINABALU - Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) akan menentukan Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) akan diadakan atau sebaliknya sekiranya terdapat kerusi Parlimen sepanjang Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) Dewan Undangan Sabah ke-17 diadakan.Bagaimanapun, Pengerusinya, Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun berkata, keputusan untuk menentukan sesuatu kerusi tersebut dikosongkan atau tidak adalah di bawah Speker Dewan Rakyat."Untuk dalam konteks ini speaker Parlimen. Jadi, kami menunggu sebarang keputusan daripada Speaker dan jika berlakunya kekosongan, pilihan raya akan diadakan dalam tempoh 60 hari daripada tempoh notis kita terima daripada Speaker," katanya.Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas sidang akhbar Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) Dewan Undangan Sabah ke-17 di Auditorium Kompleks Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan Sabah, di sini pada Khamis.Ditanya lanjut jika kerajaan Madani ketika ini sudah mencapai tempoh matang tiga tahun dan dikatakan tidak ada pilihan raya lagi diadakan, beliau menjelaskan perkara itu juga akan diambil kira untuk ditentukan sama ada PRK akan diadakan atau sebaliknya."Ya, itu SPR akan putuskan," katanya ringkas.Ketika ini, dua penyandang kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) iaitu Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya (Tanjung Keramat) dan Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (Tanjung Batu) masing-masing merupakan Ahli Parlimen Putatan dan Ahli Parlimen Kalabakan yang ketika ini digantung keahlian dalam UMNO dan menyebabkan mereka tidak mungkin akan dapat bertanding atas tiket Barisan Nasional (BN).UMNO Sabah juga sebelum ini menegaskan untuk tidak mencalonkan semula kedua-dua penyandang kerusi DUN tersebut memandangkan mereka kekal menyokong kerajaan Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) yang dipimpin Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.Sehubungan itu, jika kedua-duanya mengambil keputusan untuk bertanding atas tiket parti lain dalam pilihan raya negeri kali ini, ia sekali gus akan mengaktifkan Akta Anti Lompat Parti yang mana mereka terpaksa mengosongkan kerusi parlimen masing-masing.

• Sinar Harian
• 3 gün, 5 saat, 40 dakika

ALOR GAJAH : Two of the four male students suspected of being involved in the alleged rape of a Form Three student at a school here two weeks ago were charged at the Alor Gajah Juvenile Court today. The two 17-year-olds, who are Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidates, face three charges involving gang rape, committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature, and physical sexual assault. However, only one of them pleaded guilty to all three charges, while the other pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. According to the first charge, both were jointly accused under Section 375B of the Penal Code of committing gang rape on a 15-year-old girl. The offence carries imprisonment of between 10 and 30 years. For the second charge, they were accused under Section 377B of the Penal Code of committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature with the same victim. The offence carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping. For the third charge, each was accused under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 of committing physical sexual assault, which carries a similar punishment. All the alleged offences were committed in a classroom at a school in Alor Gajah at about 2.50 pm on Sept 30. Melaka Director of Prosecution Datuk Ahmad Sazali Omar, who led the prosecution, proposed bail of RM20,000 for each charge against the accused, citing the seriousness of the case. The first accused, represented by lawyer Chua Yong Yi, requested a lower bail, citing health concerns as his client had recently undergone sinus surgery and suffered from a hernia. The second accused, represented by a lawyer from the National Legal Aid Foundation, also sought lower bail and agreed to abide by any conditions set by the court. Magistrate Dr Teoh Shu Yee allowed bail of RM4,000 for the first charge and RM1,500 each for the second and third charges, amounting to RM7,000 in total. The court fixed Nov 26 for mention to allow submission of documents for the first accused and a probation report for the second accused before sentencing. On Oct 11, four male students were remanded for six days over the allegeged gang rape in a classroom in Alor Gajah. - Bernama

• theSun
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 40 dakika

BEIJING – Kastam China merampas 60,000 peta yang dianggap ‘bermasalah’ kerana pelabelan Taiwan dan mengecualikan wilayah yang dituntut Beijing di Laut China Selatan, kata pihak berkuasa. China menuntut Taiwan sebagai sebahagian daripada wilayahnya dan tidak menolak penggunaan kekerasan untuk menawan pulau pemerintahan sendiri itu. Beijing juga menuntut hampir seluruh Laut China Selatan, walaupun mahkamah antarabangsa ... Read more The post Kastam China rampas 60,000 peta ‘bermasalah’ appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

• Kosmo Online
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 40 dakika

It will involve experienced youth leaders and professional youth workers, says youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.

• Free Malaysia Today
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 42 dakika

AUSTIN, Oct 16 — McLaren’s duelling pair of world championship leader Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris will be...

• Malay Mail
• 3 gün, 5 saat, 42 dakika

SEOUL : South Korea’s Supreme Court partially overturned on Thursday a previous ruling on SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won’s divorce and division of property after the businessman had contested an order for him to pay the country’s largest divorce settlement. Last year, the Seoul High Court had ruled that Chey must pay around $1 billion to his estranged wife Roh So-yeong as part of their planned divorce. The decision overturned the appeals court’s ruling ordering Chey to pay 1.38 trillion won ($972.50 million) to his estranged wife as part of their divorce settlement. SK Group is South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate with 363 trillion won in assets as of 2025 according to Korea Fair Trade Commission data, with affiliates such as chipmaker SK Hynix. In 2024, the Seoul High Court said Chey’s shares in holding company SK Inc should be counted as part of the couple’s joint property, ordering Chey to pay 1.38 trillion won in cash and 2 billion won in alimony to Roh, the daughter of former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo. The decision had overturned a 2022 ruling by a lower court for a much smaller amount. SK Inc shares fell 5.4% after the ruling. ($1 = 1,419.0200 won) - Reuters

• theSun
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 43 dakika

PETALING JAYA: Proses lelongan kereta mewah dan 727 barangan peribadi milik usahawan sensasi, Datuk Seri Vida bakal dilakukan pada 30 Oktober ini, selepas tertangguh sejak Disember tahun lalu. Menerusi notis perisytiharan jualan lelong yang disiarkan dalam ruang iklan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris tempatan semalam, jualan berkenaan dilakukan oleh pemiutang, AH Design Communication Sdn. Bhd. Tindakan ... Read more The post Kereta mewah, 727 barangan peribadi Datuk Seri Vida dilelong appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

• Utusan Malaysia
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 44 dakika

Pengasas Sapura, Shamsuddin Abdul Kadir berkata beliau beri hibah RM14.85 juta kepada dua anak lelakinya, Shahril dan Shahriman pada 1997.

• Free Malaysia Today
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 45 dakika

KUALA LUMPUR: The Spanish Supreme Court has dismissed the cassation appeal filed by arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa in the Sulu claimants’ case against Malaysia, thereby upholding his conviction for contempt of court. In a statement today, the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room said that in the unanimous decision delivered on Oct 8, the court affirmed the six-month prison sentence and one-year prohibition from acting as an arbitrator imposed by the Madrid Criminal Court on Dec 22, 2023. This ruling is final and marks the conclusion of all criminal proceedings against Stampa in Spain. According to the statement, the decision was received by the Government of Malaysia today. “This final judgment reaffirms that adherence to lawful orders remains the cornerstone of both justice and the integrity of dispute resolution,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said Malaysia welcomes the landmark ruling from Spain’s highest court as a definitive affirmation of the rule of law. “It demonstrates beyond doubt that the purported Sulu arbitration was the product of the unlawful and criminal conduct of a rogue arbitrator and vindicates the Government of Malaysia’s consistent position that the so-called award obtained by the Sulu claimants is null and void,” she said in the statement. In the meantime, the courts of Spain, France, and the Netherlands have now all confirmed Malaysia’s position concerning the Sulu case. Following the decision, the government extended its appreciation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Cabinet, the Minister in the Prime Minister Department (Law and Institutional Reform), the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General, the Director General of the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister’s Department for their unwavering support, coordination and commitment in defending Malaysia’s sovereignty and national interests throughout this complex international legal battle. It also thanked the Sulu Special Secretariat War Room and all relevant agencies, including the National Security Council, as well as Malaysia’s international legal counsel. “The Government of Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defend Malaysia’s sovereignty, immunity and national interests against the baseless claims made in the Sulu fraud,” the secretariat said in the statement. Previously, eight citizens of the Philippines, who claimed to be heirs of the defunct Sulu sultanate, filed for arbitration proceedings in Spain seeking billions of dollars from Malaysia over Sabah. In March 2019, a court in Madrid appointed Stampa as the arbitrator for their claims. Malaysia had secured a decisive victory in the long-running dispute, as a result of favourable rulings by a Luxembourg court, the Hague Court of Appeal in the Netherlands, the Paris Court of Appeal in France, as well as the Spanish courts. - Bernama

• theSun
• 3 gün, 13 saat, 47 dakika