In an effort to boost their energy capacity and security amidst conflict in the Middle East which has affected global power supply, Vietnam has signed an agreement with Russia for the construction of two Russian-designed power plants to be built in Hanoi. We break down the significance of this deal, Vietnam's power shortage issues and if this will encourage more Southeast Asian countries to pursue nuclear deals with global leaders. (Starts at 22:47)


• Changes to Sarawak's legislative assembly: The assembly recently approved an increase in state seats from 82 to 99, but civil society organisations have expressed concern that this is another tactic for the ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak to consolidate more power. We hear from Danesh Prakash Chacko, chairperson of TINDAK Society for his take on the situation. (Starts at 17:26)

• Fans from some countries 'banned' from World Cup?: Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, the US government expanded a visa bond program that requires about 50 countries, predominantly in African countries, to submit deposits between $5,000 and $15,000 to enter the US legally. And while players are able to secure a waiver, it is unclear if supporters of their country and family members will be allowed to physically be in the stadiums to watch the matches. We discuss. (Starts at 11:39)

• Meta and YouTube designed to be addictive: Meta and YouTube have been found liable for deliberately designing addictive products that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed. This was the result of a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Dr Benjamin Loh, course director for the Bachelor of Digital Media & Communication at Monash University Malaysia joins us to unpack if this verdict will have long-term effects on the way platforms are designed. (Starts at 5:50)

• More Malaysian words added to Oxford dictionary: Another year, another set of Malaysian-isms that Oxford Language has added to their catalogue. This time around, words like agak-agak, jialat and kaypoh were added, among others. We discuss. (Starts at 0:23)


Image Credit: Shutterstock

In an effort to boost their energy capacity and security amidst conflict in the Middle East which has affected global power supply, Vietnam has signed an agreement with Russia for the construction of two Russian-designed power plants to be built in Hanoi. We break down the significance of this deal, Vietnam's power shortage issues and if this will encourage more Southeast Asian countries to pursue nuclear deals with global leaders. (Starts at 22:47) • Changes to Sarawak's legislative assembly: The assembly recently approved an increase in state seats from 82 to 99, but civil society organisations have expressed concern that this is another tactic for the ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak to consolidate more power. We hear from Danesh Prakash Chacko, chairperson of TINDAK Society for his take on the situation. (Starts at 17:26)• Fans from some countries 'banned' from World Cup?: Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America, the US government expanded a visa bond program that requires about 50 countries, predominantly in African countries, to submit deposits between $5,000 and $15,000 to enter the US legally. And while players are able to secure a waiver, it is unclear if supporters of their country and family members will be allowed to physically be in the stadiums to watch the matches. We discuss. (Starts at 11:39)• Meta and YouTube designed to be addictive: Meta and YouTube have been found liable for deliberately designing addictive products that hooked a young user and led to her being harmed. This was the result of a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles. Dr Benjamin Loh, course director for the Bachelor of Digital Media &amp; Communication at Monash University Malaysia joins us to unpack if this verdict will have long-term effects on the way platforms are designed. (Starts at 5:50)• More Malaysian words added to Oxford dictionary: Another year, another set of Malaysian-isms that Oxford Language has added to their catalogue. This time around, words like agak-agak, jialat and kaypoh were added, among others. We discuss. (Starts at 0:23) Image Credit: Shutterstock

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