KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — The ringgit opened higher against the US dollar for a seventh straight trading day ahead of the high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14-15, 2026.

At 8 am, the local currency strengthened to 3.9265/9330 against the greenback from 3.9285/9325 at Wednesday’s close.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said traders were generally expecting positive outcomes from the meeting between the two leaders.

He added that higher fuel prices amid the war in West Asia had started to feed into inflation, potentially dampening hopes for an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve (Fed).

At the time of writing, Brent crude oil edged up 0.08 per cent to US$105.71 per barrel.

“However, the situation remains fluid. Growth could come under pressure and the Fed may shift its focus towards supporting the economy,” he told Bernama.

At the opening, the ringgit traded mixed against a basket of major currencies.

It appreciated against the Japanese yen to 2.4872/4914 from 2.4888/4916, but weakened against the British pound to 5.3110/3198 from 5.3105/3160, and slipped versus the euro to 4.6003/6079 from 4.5987/6034 at Wednesday’s close.

The local currency traded mostly higher against regional peers.

It gained against the Singapore dollar to 3.0859/0915 from 3.0872/0906 and strengthened against the Indonesian rupiah to 224.6/225.1 from 224.7/225.1.

The ringgit also edged up against the Philippine peso to 6.39/6.41 from 6.40/6.41, but eased against the Thai baht to 12.1469/1735 from 12.1419/1599 previously. — Bernama

Karin Nakamura posted a photo:

Blog↓
journal.karin-nakamura.com/

YouTube↓
www.youtube.com/@adain_rin

LOS ANGELES, May 14 — A driver on California’s notoriously congested highways put a life-sized dummy in the passenger seat to trick his way into the faster carpool lane, only to get caught for forgetting one detail — the face.

High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) carriageways are an effort to reduce traffic by encouraging ride-sharing, often requiring there to be at least two people travelling in a vehicle.

Cops in Hayward, near San Francisco, became suspicious when they noticed the passenger in one vehicle — slumped over, wearing a blue hoodie and a sun hat — appeared to have no face.

“Reminder: HOV occupants need to be actual people, not your arts and crafts project,” California Highway Patrol in Haywood posted on their Facebook page on Tuesday.

Drivers who flout the rules can be fined US$490 (RM1,925), according to Caltrans, the body that operates the state’s freeways. — AFP 

KUANTAN, May 14 — Eight boys aged between four and 12 faced a terrifying ordeal today after being trapped by a water surge at Sungai Mensun in the Kampung Terisu Orang Asli settlement, Cameron Highlands.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations assistant director Mohd Salahuddin Isa said emergency services received a distress call at 5.10pm regarding the incident. 

Seven firefighters from the Cameron Highlands station rushed to the scene, arriving at the river half an hour later.

“The team launched a rescue operation, using ropes to cross the river and move all victims to safety from the rocks where they were stranded,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The children were successfully rescued by 7.58pm and handed over to their families, he added. — Bernama