KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — The official membership presale allocations for the upcoming BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in Kuala Lumpur sold out completely within five hours. 

The presale, known as the ARMY Membership Presale after the fandom, started at 11am today and saw heavy traffic during its first two hours, with approximately 1.3 million online users queuing in the waiting room page.

However, by 4pm, concert promoter Live Nation Malaysia had taken to their X account and Instagram to announce that tickets had been fully snatched up for the first phase.

“Army, all of you were on fire today. The ARMY membership presale is now sold out!

“Missed your chance? Get ready for the Live Nation Presale happening tomorrow,” Live Nation Malaysia tweeted.

Earlier today, some BTS fans took to social media platforms such as Threads and X to share their preparation for the presale battle. 

Some even joined the waiting room as early as 9am, while others were seen flocking to cyber cafes in groups to secure tickets. 

As the presale commenced, several ARMY members complained about the waiting time they endured to reach the buying page while several others celebrated their successful purchases. 

Several videos also circulated showing ARMY celebrating their wins at cyber cafes.

Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza also posted an Instagram Story congratulating a member of her team who successfully secured tickets.

Meanwhile, the official authorised ticketing platform Go Live Asia also shared via its Instagram story that the majority of participants in today’s membership presale were from Malaysia.

Other listed countries include Indonesia, China and Vietnam.

Aside from that, several resellers have also appeared across social media and online marketplace trying to resell their haul just over an hour after the presale began.

A brief check on online marketplace Carousell showed several users already selling tickets as early as 12.40pm, with at least one user offering Cat 6 tickets for RM600 compared to the original price of RM438. 

Another user was seen selling the same Cat 6 tickets for RM890, and there was also a Soundcheck VIP Package listed for RM3,200 instead of its initial price of RM1,288. 

Several Carousell users are already reselling BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in KL tickets. — Screenshot via Carousell

Ticketing service providers were also rampant on sites such as X and Threads, with a couple offering their service for RM100 per ticket.

Some of these ticketing service providers also claimed they had a bypass link access that could skip the waiting queue, meaning they could go straight to the buying page. 

Today marks the first day of the official ARMY Membership Presale, which was supposed to run from 11am to 10pm. 

Meanwhile, the Trip.Com Presale is scheduled to start tomorrow from 9am to 11.59pm while the Live Nation Membership presale will also be happening tomorrow from 11am to 10pm. 

General ticket sales open on Friday, June 5 at 11am.

BTS World Tour ‘Arirang’ in KL concerts are set for December 12 and December 13 and will take place at the TM National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. 

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — For fans who spent the early 2000s swooning over Meteor Garden and singing along to Meteor Rain, the wait is almost over.

Asian supergroup F FOREVER (F4) is bringing its highly anticipated F FOREVER 1st World Tour to Kuala Lumpur for a two-night stand this August.

Organised by Live Nation Malaysia, the group will perform at the Unifi Arena on August 7 and 8, 2026, with both shows scheduled to begin at 8pm.

Members Jerry Yan, Van Ness Wu and Vic Chou — joined by Ashin from Taiwanese rock band Mayday — will take the stage on a 360-degree, four-directional star-shaped extending platform designed to maximise fan interaction.

Ken Chu is absent from the F FOREVER line-up, with Taiwanese media reports linking his non-participation to an alleged disagreement with B’in Music.

Ashin, who has been widely credited as the driving force behind F4’s reunion, was included in the touring line-up to complete the quartet.

The F FOREVER tour kicked off with four shows in Shanghai last December before continuing in Chengdu in January, and later in Shenzhen and Wuhan in March.

The South-east Asian leg of the tour was unveiled in April, with Kuala Lumpur joining Manila, Bangkok and Singapore on the itinerary.

 

 

 

 

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Originally comprising Yan, Wu, Chou and Chu, F4 was formed in 2001 following the runaway success of Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001–2002), in which the quartet portrayed a clique of wealthy, privileged students known collectively as F4.

For many across Asia, the group became synonymous with the Mandopop boom of the early 2000s, with heartfelt ballads and infectious pop anthems that continue to resonate with fans decades later.

Newer releases, including Forever Forever and Always Be My Bro, have also found an audience, bridging generations of listeners who grew up during Mandopop’s golden era.

Although the group officially disbanded in 2009, they delighted fans with a surprise reunion performance during Mayday’s concert at the Taipei Dome in July 2025.

General ticket sales will begin on June 25, 2026, at 12pm, via BookMyShow Malaysia.

For the latest updates, fans can follow Live Nation Malaysia’s official social media channels.

KUALA NERUS, June 13 — Four states located near or along the country’s borders continued to record the highest rates of drug abuse in Malaysia in 2025.

The National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) Prevention Division director Siti Mariam Mursidan said Kelantan recorded the highest rate, with 1,105 drug addicts and abusers per 100,000 population, followed by Terengganu (997), Perlis (970) and Kedah (965).

She said the geographical location of these states has facilitated the entry of illicit drug supplies into the local market, making it easier for addicts to obtain the prohibited substances.

“Overall, a total of 191,832 arrests involving drug addicts and individuals involved in prohibited substances were recorded throughout last year.

“Apart from these four states, other states that also recorded relatively high rates were Pahang with 795 cases per 100,000 population, Penang (757), Melaka (659) and Perak (579). However, the situation in all states remains under control,” she said after the Kuala Nerus Car Free Hour (KNCFH) programme and the state-level Drug-Free Aspirations Tour (JABD) 2026 here today.

Also present were Terengganu deputy police chief SAC Suffian Sulaiman and state AADK director Arzmi Abdullah.

At the event, Siti Mariam also announced the selection of two villages — Kampung Gong Rawai in Kuala Terengganu and Kampung Rawai in Marang — as pilot locations for the drug-free aspirational village programme.

She said the locations were chosen based on the commitment shown by local leaders and communities in supporting AADK’s preventive programmes and related activities.

“The selection of these villages does not mean that they have a high number of drug addicts. Rather, it is based on the cooperation and readiness of the communities and local leaders to support efforts to combat the drug menace.

“Terengganu is quite special because two villages have been selected as pilot projects. In other states, only one adopted village has been chosen for the same programme,” she said. — Bernama

BTCRAIL FILMS posted a photo:

Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 hammers down the line as it nears Claypool, Indiana. Seen here as the massive 4-8-8-4 is about to roll under IN-15 road bridge.

At major tournaments it’s common to see players, aware of the greater exposure these events provide, use the opportunity to make a demand. At this year’s Roland Garros they have once again called for a different distribution and a larger share of the money that, above all, these kinds of tournaments generate. The conflict is not new and — even though the Paris organizers unilaterally decided this year to raise the prize pool competitors would receive by about 10% — the players have deemed it insufficient.

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Fujifilm is taking its Instax brand on the road this summer with the launch of the 2026 Instax Capture the Joy Tour, a nationwide experiential event designed to give consumers hands-on access to the company’s instant cameras and smartphone printers.

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SINGAPORE: At least 62 people have fallen victim to scams linked to BTS concert tickets, losing a total of S$68,200, according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

In an advisory issued on Tuesday (June 9), police said the cases surfaced shortly after ticket sales for BTS’s “ARIRANG” World Tour in Singapore ended on June 5.

According to SPF, scammers approached victims through social media platforms such as Instagram and Carousell, offering concert tickets for sale.

Victims were typically asked to make a payment via PayNow or by scanning a PayNow QR code. After receiving the initial payment, the scammers allegedly requested additional transfers, citing reasons such as administrative fees.

“Victims only realised they had been scammed when they did not receive the tickets,” the police said.

SPF reminded concertgoers to buy tickets only through authorised platforms such as Ticketmaster. The police also highlighted Ticketmaster’s terms and conditions, which prohibit the resale of tickets.

According to Ticketmaster, those found using resale tickets may be denied entry to the concert and will not receive a refund. The company also does not issue tickets via email.

Police added that they are working with social media platforms to remove accounts involved in the fraudulent sale of BTS concert tickets.

The warning comes amid growing concerns over ticket scalping, with BTS concert tickets already appearing on resale platforms at heavily marked-up prices.

Earlier reports showed some sellers listing VIP tickets for as much as S$9,000, while others advertised packages worth several times the original ticket price.

This article (BTS ticket scams leave victims out of pocket by more than S$68,000) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

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NEW YORK, June 12 — Taylor Swift yesterday became the youngest woman ever inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame, another milestone in the 36-year-old US pop star’s record-breaking career.

The female record was previously held by Carole Bayer Sager, who was 43 when she joined in 1987. Stevie Wonder remains the youngest person ever admitted, at age 32 in 1983.

Artists become eligible for the Hall of Fame 20 years after the release of their first commercial track. For Swift, that was Tim McGraw, released in June 2006.

Her success since is undeniable: the American artist has recorded 12 albums spanning country, pop, and folk, earning her 14 Grammy Awards in the United States, including four Album of the Year trophies — a record.

“Swift’s ability to shapeshift as a songwriter, to inhabit different sonic landscapes and write as credibly in the world of one genre as she does another is part of her superpower as a songwriter,” reads her bio on the Hall of Fame website.

“It also represents the boldness and bravery of her artistry: to explore new frontiers when the most practical next step would be to keep mining the material that has gotten you the success in the first place.”

Swift appeared on the red carpet in New York yesterday wearing a strapless black dress with floral motifs ahead of the naming ceremony.

‘Great honour’ 

Also inducted yesterday were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, the band behind hits such as Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City.

“It doesn’t suck,” Stanley told AFP when asked how it felt to join the prestigious songwriting ranks.

“It’s really hard to digest the idea. I certainly don’t consider myself in that rarified air of some of the writers, but if you wanna be in that club, I’m there.”

Kenny Loggins, the hitmaker behind movie soundtrack classics like Footloose and Danger Zone from Top Gun, was inducted into the Hall of Fame as well.

“It’s a great honour and I appreciate it,” Loggins told AFP. “It’s the culmination of a lifetime writing, and that’s exciting for me.”

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, inescapable in the 1990s, and American record producer Walter Afanasieff were also among the total of nine songwriters joining the Hall of Fame this year.

Estimates put Taylor Swift’s worldwide sales at over 250 million album-equivalents. Her most recent tour in 2023 and 2024, titled “The Eras Tour,” brought in a record sum of around two billion dollars.

She is also the female artist with the most songs ever to reach the top 10 list compiled by Billboard, the leading US music magazine.

Swift is omnipresent in the media. After unveiling a country track for the soundtrack of the film Toy Story 5, she was at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday for a game of the NBA Finals. — AFP

My Music Memorabilia posted a photo:

SUPER FURRY ANIMALS

ON TOUR IN APRIL / MAY
Fri 26 Middlesbrough Arena
Sat 27 Wolverhampton the Varsity
Sun 28 Gloucester Guildhall
Mon 29 Exeter Cavern Club
Tue 30 Southampton Joiners Arms
Sun 2 Aberystwyth University
Mon 3 Blackwood Institute
Tue 4 Bangor University
Sun 12 Cardiff University

NEW SINGLE
GOD! SHOW ME MAGIC
OUT APRIL 29
SFA

Fuzzy Logic In May

(1996)