NEW YORK, May 5 — The Met Gala turned New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art into the world’s most glamorous red carpet, with A-list actors, musicians, athletes, artists and designers coming together for charity — and offering their best looks.

Here are the top five moments of the night:

Queen Bey

As the red carpet arrivals went on for hours, everyone was waiting and wondering: when will Beyonce arrive?

Typically, the event’s co-chairs are among the first on the scene, and tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman did just that.

But Beyonce made a grand entrance, and did not disappoint.

She stunned fashionistas in a diamond skeleton gown, with skin-toned mesh underneath, the bejewelled bones showing to the tips of her fingers. The outfit, designed by Olivier Rousteing, included a feathered coat and an intricate headpiece.

Beyonce making her grand entrance. — AFP pic

At her side was rapper husband Jay-Z, elegant in a black tux and tails, and their 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who wore a strapless creamy white dress with a puffy train and a matching jacket.

“It feels surreal because my daughter’s here,” Beyonce told Vogue. “It’s incredible to be able to share it with her and I think she looks so incredible.”

Saint Laurent rules

Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello was co-leader of the gala’s “host committee” — one tier below the co-chairs — and his work was on display all over the red carpet.

From actress Zoe Kravitz, who worked on the committee with him, to supermodel Kate Moss to “heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie, the label was everywhere.

Rapper Doja Cat, also on the committee, wore a draped latex gown with a demure neckline — but slit up to her waist.

And singer Rose, a multiple Grammy nominee this year for APT, her banger collab with Bruno Mars, wore a chic strapless black dress with a high slit and an outsized bird brooch at her waist.

Music divas meet K-pop

The Met Gala hosted some of music’s most glittering stars: Madonna, Cher and Stevie Nicks are all in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And Rihanna is a pop superstar, a beauty mogul and a Met Gala favourite.

Thai singer and actress Lalisa Manobal. — AFP pic

But also on hand were some of the top names in K-pop, including Jennie, Rose, Lisa and Jisoo from girl group Blackpink, and the three women behind the mega-hit “Golden” from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.

While the Material Girl opted for a wispy Saint Laurent slip dress with a grayish cape handled by seven ladies-in-waiting and a towering hat featuring a ship, Cher wore a leather and lace Burberry dress, and Nicks wore a deep blue ensemble with matching top hat.

Rihanna is no stranger to the Met Gala and has made many unforgettable appearances, including last year, when she unveiled her third pregnancy.

Rihanna arriving at the 2026 Met Gala. — AFP pic

This time around, she arrived in a sculptural silver gown from Maison Margiela with an intricately beaded bodice and an Art Deco-style headpiece.

For Team K-pop, singer-songwriter EJAE — an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winner for writing Golden — stood out in a sparkling silver column gown from Swarovski, topped off with Korean hairpins called binyeos, according to Vogue.

Singer-songwriter EJAE. — AFP pic

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars scorch carpet

Are you Team Rozanov or Team Hollander?

Actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have emerged over the past year as the It Boys of showbiz and fashion, on the back of the massive success of their gay hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, based on novels by Rachel Reid.

After taking the Winter Olympics and the Oscars parties by storm, the boys were back.

Storrie (who plays the flashy Ilya Rozanov) arrived first, wearing a chic black Saint Laurent suit with a sleeveless white-dotted black shirt that ended in a long train down his back — which he revealed after ditching the jacket.

Williams (who plays the subdued Shane Hollander) was the more daring of the two, sporting a pale blue Balenciaga suit with a cropped jacket, bare chest and a gauzy black train that was giving couture matador.

Pure whimsy

The theme for the gala is “Fashion is Art”, and while many A-listers played it safe, a few understood the theme and went all-in.

Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie rocked a dramatic off-the-shoulder red Giles Deacon gown with a colorful feathered hat and a face mask in her hands, hoping to conjure the image of a John Singer Sargent painting.

Gwendoline Christie. — AFP pic

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka made her Met Gala debut in a striking Robert Wun ensemble that featured a white coat with red feather accents, which she removed to reveal a red gown studded with thousands of red Swarovski crystals.

Broadway actor Ben Platt wore a pale green and sky blue suit that clearly depicted Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” — the source material for Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Sunday in the Park with George.”

And model Heidi Klum — known for her over-the-top Halloween costumes — resembled a living statue, her white gown draped perfectly, looking like marble. — AFP

BANGKOK, May 5 — Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that the Cabinet has approved a draft emergency decree to borrow up to 400 billion baht (about RM48.5 billion), aimed at cushioning economic impacts from the global energy crisis and accelerating the country's transition towards clean energy, reported Xinhua.

Speaking at a press conference, Anutin said the decision was driven by the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has disrupted global energy prices and economic activity, noting that the crisis has cascaded from energy into food prices, placing significant pressure on the cost of living for citizens nationwide.

Anutin said the government's timely intervention is critical to prevent the Thai economy from sliding into stagflation, which is defined as high inflation combined with a slowing economy.

The draft decree is designed to navigate the South-east Asian nation through the current crisis and reduce economic vulnerabilities while strictly maintaining fiscal discipline, he added.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposed loan will fund two comprehensive initiatives, with the first phase providing immediate financial relief to farmers, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and low- to middle-income citizens to help reduce living and production costs.

The second phase seeks long-term structural transformation by reducing fossil fuel reliance, promoting renewable energy and electric vehicles, and fostering innovation and workforce skills for the new economy, the ministry said in a statement.

The emergency decree is scheduled to be submitted to the Parliament on May 14, and a project monitoring mechanism will be established to track the allocation and implementation of the loan, said Ratchada Thanadirek, a spokesperson of the Thai Prime Minister's Office.

Despite the massive borrowing package, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas assured the public that the national debt will remain manageable and stay well below the legal ceiling of 70 per cent of gross domestic product. — Bernama-Xinhua

KOTA BHARU, May 5 — Two men, namely a person with disabilities (PWD) and a senior citizen died while three others were injured, in an accident involving two vehicles at the Simpang Tiga Manik Urai Lama junction, Kuala Krai, this morning.

In the 9.12am incident, the fatalities were the Perodua Kembara driver, Mohd Yusof Mat Yasim, 64, from Kampung Pahi, and the front-seat passenger of the Honda City, Muhamad Irfan Zaidin, 20, from Kampung Pangkal Pisang, Peringat.

Kuala Krai Fire and Rescue Station Chief Nik Ahmad Afsham Nik Pa said they received an emergency call at 9.12am before a fire engine was deployed to the scene.

He said that among those injured were a 30-year-old woman with an intellectual disability, a 61-year-old senior citizen, and another 24 year-old individual, respectively.

“The fire engine arrived at the scene at 9.26am, approximately 21 kilometres from the station, and the operation was successfully brought under control four minutes later. The accident involved a Perodua Kembara sports utility vehicle carrying three victims and a Honda City VTEC with two passengers,” he said when contacted today.

According to him, the driver of the Perodua Kembara was confirmed dead at the scene, while his two passengers were injured. Meanwhile, the driver of the Honda City was injured, and the front-seat passenger died.

He noted that firefighters extricated the trapped victims before handing them over to the Ministry of Health ambulance for further treatment, while the deceased were handed over to the police.

“This operation involved six personnel with one Fire Rescue Tender, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation,” he said. — Bernama

SERI ISKANDAR, May 5 — A total of 61 cases of online fraud involving university students in Perak were recorded from January to April this year with losses totalling RM303,372.36.

Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the types of fraud included phone calls, e-commerce, investments and loans.

“If previously this group was viewed as less exposed, the data we have obtained shows that university students are currently the main group targeted by criminals,” he said at a media conference after officiating the launch of ‘Module On The Current Trends of Commercial Crimes’ at Universiti Teknologi Petronas’s (UTP) Chancellor’s Hall here today.

He also stressed that all parties need to view such frauds seriously as it did could target anyone, regardless of background and status.

On today’s programme, Noor Hisam said it was a partnership between the Perak police and UTP aimed to improve public awareness on commercial crime, especially among university students.

The module launched is focused on commercial crime’s current trends that have been developing in line with digital technology advancement, and requires more proactive approaches in terms of prevention.

“Such programmes can hopefully make students more aware of fraud tactics and they can be agents to deliver information to friends and their respective communities,” he added. — Bernama

SHAH ALAM, May 5 — A recycling plant in the Mahkota Beranang industrial area, in Semenyih, is suspected to be the source of odour pollution detected in Sungai Semenyih two days ago.

State executive councillor for Public Health and Environment, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, said a Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) inspection on May 3 detected an abnormal odour in the river, with a threshold odour number (TON) of two. The pollution is believed to have originated from the factory’s discharge.

She added that further LUAS inspections found a coloured discharge suspected to have been released directly into the drainage system, which then entered Sungai Kabul. The premises also reportedly failed to comply with licensing conditions under Selangor’s Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP).

“In response, LUAS implemented comprehensive prevention and immediate mitigation measures, as the pollution posed a risk to the operations of the nearest water treatment plants (WTP), specifically the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi WTPs.

“LUAS immediately began recovery efforts in Sungai Kabul and surrounding areas by applying about 100 kilograms of activated carbon for deodorisation and initiating intensive odour monitoring in both Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih,” she said in a statement today.

Jamaliah said that LUAS ordered the premises to cease discharges and to conduct immediate cleaning and control measures at the site and related areas.

She added that mitigation measures included pumping water from Pond B and Pond C under the Selangor Raw Water Guarantee Scheme (SJAM) to supply up to 770 million litres per day of raw water directly to the Sungai Semenyih WTP, ensuring uninterrupted supply.

“Sampling was conducted by LUAS at the affected locations within the premises and has been sent to the Department of Chemistry (JKM) for further analysis.

“LUAS has opened an investigation paper under Section 79(4) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 for the offence of polluting water sources, and Section 59 for failure to comply with licence conditions,” she said.

Jamaliah also said that LUAS monitoring at 8pm yesterday detected no abnormal odour in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Kabul, and river conditions had returned to normal.

“SJAM operations ended at 8pm, and the Sungai Semenyih WTP has resumed normal operations using raw water from the river.

“Nevertheless, LUAS will continue to closely monitor Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih to ensure there are no further pollution effects or risks to plant operations,” she added. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Constitutional Amendments regarding the separation of the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor aims to finalise the relevant Bill in the near future before it is tabled by the final meeting on May 18.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the target was set following further scrutiny of the recommendations that had been agreed upon previously.

“The committee also aims to finalise this Bill in the near future before a report containing the proposed amendments is submitted by the final meeting scheduled for May 18, 2026,” she said in a statement today.

She said the fifth Committee Meeting, which she chaired today, focused on the drafting of the Bill.

According to her, during the meeting, the committee heard a presentation from the Attorney General’s Chambers regarding the proposed new draft Bill, which was formulated based on those recommendations.

Azalina said that the Madani government remains committed to ensuring that the process of separating the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor is carried out meticulously, based on principles, and in accordance with the Constitution.

She added that this step is in line with efforts to strengthen the doctrine of the separation of powers and increase public trust in the country’s justice system.

The meeting was also attended by the Members of Parliament for Parit Sulong, Selayang, Bangi, Lubok Antu, Bukit Gelugor, Tawau, and Muar.

The Members of Parliament for Alor Gajah, Larut, Beluran, and Kota Bharu were unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances. — Bernama

KUANTAN, May 5 — The Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, granted an audience to Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching at Istana Abdulaziz, here today.

His Royal Highness was accompanied by the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah and the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah.

The Pahang Sultanate, in its Facebook post, said that His Royal Highness spent about an hour discussing various matters, including potential collaboration and cooperation between Pahang and Singapore.

“His Royal Highness then invited the guests to view the surroundings of the palace, before proceeding to a luncheon,” the post said.

The audience was also attended by the Singapore delegation, including Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim.

Also part of the delegation were Singapore Member of Parliament Joan Pereira, Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon and officials from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lee is on a five-day official visit to Pahang and Terengganu from May 4 to 8. — Bernama

SERI ISKANDAR, May 5 — The male suspect believed to be involved in the murder of an elderly woman in Taman Desa Aman, Ipoh, yesterday, is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol when the incident occurred.

Perak Police Chief Noor Hisam Nordin said initial investigations revealed that the 52-year-old suspect was discovered with several beer cans at the crime scene.

“The motive for the incident is still under investigation, and I have been informed that although the suspect and the victim were neighbours, they are believed to have not known each other because they lived on different lanes.

“The suspect is also reported to have previously received psychiatric treatment at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta (HBUK), Tanjong Rambutan,” he said.

He said this when met at a press conference after officiating the launch of the ‘Module On The Current Trends of Commercial Crimes’ at the Chancellor Hall of Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), here today.

Noor Hisam added that the suspect’s blood sample has been sent to the Department of Chemistry for further analysis and confirmation regarding the case.

“The police also urge any individual with information regarding the incident to come forward to assist the police in solving the case as soon as possible,” he said.

Earlier, Ipoh District Police Chief ACP Muhammad Najib Hamzah informed that an elderly woman died after being slashed at a house in Persiaran Pegoh Aman 2, Taman Desa Aman, yesterday.

He said that the 70-year-old woman was found lying down and was confirmed dead by medical officers. The incident is believed to have occurred between 4.45pm and 10.00pm — the period between the last time the victim left her house and when she was found murdered. — Bernama

SINGAPORE, May 5 — Singapore Parliament on Tuesday passed a new law that outlines the principles and powers for managing cross-border incidents involving the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link).

The Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-Location) Bill, which supports the operationalisation of the RTS Link, was passed after the third reading by Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong.

The bill will enable Malaysia’s Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) operations in Singapore, as well as Singapore’s CIQ operations in Malaysia.

Tong said the bill comprises key principles on which Singapore and Malaysia have agreed for managing cross-border incidents on the RTS Link.

He explained that if the RTS Link completes its journey, any incident on board will be managed by the authorities of the country where the train stops.

Additionally, if a train stalls and is unable to complete its journey, the country in whose territory the train is locate will manage the incident, he said. 

“If a train stalls at the stretch of railway tracks located between the respective administrative boundary markers of both countries, represented by Pier 47 for Malaysia and Pier 48 for Singapore, both countries have agreed to use the nose of the train as the marker to determine the country with primary responsibility to manage the incident. 

“The country with primary responsibility will be the incident manager in this case, and will have command and control over incident management,” he said during the second reading of the bill on Tuesday. 

Meanwhile, in his winding up speech, Tong explained that the bill will enable a seamless travel experience for commuters at the co-located CIQ checkpoints at Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North stations.

He emphasised it also operationalises a comprehensive set of arrangements to facilitate CIQ clearance and underpins jointly developed protocols for the coordinated management of cross-border incidents.

“Ultimately, the aim is to provide a travel experience that is smooth and seamless, but at the same time, strictly without compromising on safety and security, especially at our border controls.

“This will in turn help ensure that the RTS Link experience for travellers is not only convenient, safe and seamless, but also safe and secure,” he said on Tuesday.

In February 2026, the Malaysian Parliament passed the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Bill 2026 to strengthen the legal framework for cross-border transport operations between the two countries.— Bernama

SEPANG, May 5 — DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has dismissed allegations linking him to the disbursement of large funds to an allegedly illegal entity, and tensions involving Negeri Sembilan’s royal institution, as “serious slander”, confirming that a police report has been lodged.

The Seremban Member of Parliament said the report was filed by his political secretary, Ho Weng Wah, against activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, also known as Chegubard, over his Facebook posts, at the Seremban Police headquarters yesterday.

“He (Chegubard) is trying to link me by claiming I channelled funds to parties seeking to create trouble or stir issues involving the Undang institution in Negeri Sembilan. This is a serious slander,” he said when asked after launching the Express Rail Link’s (ERL) MyKLIA Monthly TravelCard (MTC) and MyPutrajaya MTC initiatives at KLIA Terminal 2 (T2) here today.

In a statement earlier, Loke, who is also Transport Minister, reiterated that DAP fully backs Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun to continue leading the state government and rejects any proposal to replace him at this time.

He said that the party remains committed to upholding the constitutional monarchy and ensuring that any related issues are handled in an orderly manner in accordance with the federal and state constitutions. — Bernama

SEREMBAN, May 5 — Several roads in Paroi will be temporarily closed to facilitate the organisation of Ceramah Perdana Pimpinan Utama Pakatan Harapan Negeri Sembilan programme, scheduled to take place at Stadium Tuanku Abdul Rahman parking grounds tomorrow.

Seremban district police chief ACP Azahar Abdul Rahim said the roads involved are Jalan Kedidi, Taman Paroi Jaya, and Lorong Kedidi 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, which will be closed from 7pm until the programme concludes.

“Road users, especially residents in Lorong Kedidi 1 to 7, are advised to use alternative routes via Jalan Persiaran Merak and Jalan Tok Dagang.

“The event is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and key Pakatan Harapan leaders,” he said in a statement here today.

The public is advised to comply with instructions from police personnel on duty to ensure smooth traffic flow and safety throughout the event.

Enquiries can be directed to the Seremban district police headquarters operations room at 06-6033477 or 06-6014999. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU, May 5 — Sabah is studying proposals to revive barter trade with the southern Philippines, after years of limited activity following earlier security restrictions and tighter controls during the Covid-19 period.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said the state government will study the proposals, taking into account both security concerns and economic benefits.

“We will study this. Many quarters have proposed this. All aspects will be taken into account, especially on security and its benefits to our economy.

“We will discuss this later at meetings of the National Security Council (MKN) and the State Development Action Council,” he told reporters after a working visit to several islands housing national security posts off Sandakan’s east coast.

Barter trade in Sabah, particularly along the east coast, has long functioned as cross-border trade linking communities in towns such as Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu with neighbouring regions in the southern Philippines and eastern Indonesia.

While commonly referred to as “barter”, much of the trade in recent decades has operated through simplified, small-scale monetary exchanges rather than conventional goods-for-goods transactions, which started centuries ago.

The system was suspended in 2016 following a series of cross-border security incidents, including kidnappings in Sabah waters, a move that affected coastal communities which depended on the trade.

Barter trade was gradually reintroduced in 2019 under the Warisan administration under tighter regulations, with designated trading points and stricter monitoring of goods and vessels to prevent the leakage of subsidised items such as cooking oil and fuel.

At some ports, barter trade continues on a more limited and closely regulated scale, but industry players have proposed that it be expanded.

The visit today was part of the Chief Minister’s Security Inspection Programme to the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE).

Hajiji and his delegation visited Pulau Bakungan Kecil, Pulau Selingan and Pulau Langkayan to assess conditions at security posts operated by enforcement personnel, including Sabah Parks staff, police and the military.

He said the programme allowed him to observe first-hand the readiness of security forces and the condition of facilities on the islands.

“From this inspection, I could see that the preparedness of all security forces, including facilities at control posts, is in good condition, and the facilities have also been upgraded.

“I have raised this matter with the Prime Minister and many assets have been allocated, although much more is still needed,” he said.

Hajiji also expressed confidence that strong security in Sabah’s east coast waters would continue to support economic activities, particularly tourism.

“It has been a long time since any incident was reported in our waters, which certainly encourages tourism on Sabah’s east coast. When the situation is peaceful and security is assured, more tourists are keen to come here and tourism will grow.

“Pulau Sipadan, for instance, is a major attraction as one of the world’s best diving destinations, so we must safeguard security to ensure this tourism asset continues to attract visitors,” he said.