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KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Malaysian consumers, already weathering months of relentless price hikes, face a sobering warning: the worst may yet be coming.

According to the latest industry report from Retail Group Malaysia (RGM), a fresh wave of retail price increases is expected to hit this month.

This new surge arrives as the country grapples with an inflationary environment that has been steadily deteriorating since the start of the year. Inflation rose 1.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, only to jump further to 1.9 per cent in April alone.

The categories driving this spike mirror the daily struggle of the average household: insurance and financial services surged 4.9 per cent, personal care and miscellaneous services climbed 4.8 per cent, and transport costs rose 4.1 per cent.

Even the simple act of dining at restaurants, cafes, and takeaway outlets saw a rise of 2.6 per cent.

“To make matters worse, new wave of retail price increases is expected to begin from June this year,” RGM said in its report.

The root cause of this mounting pressure is thousands of kilometres away. The escalation of conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran in February has sent fuel prices spiralling.

Between the first week of March and the first week of June, unsubsidised RON95 jumped 39 per cent, from RM2.67 to RM3.72 per litre. Diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia were hit even harder, climbing 45 per cent to reach RM4.67.

These costs do not stay confined to the petrol pump; they bleed into every corner of the economy. RGM notes that the “fuel effect” has already inflated prices for a staggering array of essentials: from groceries and dining out to car repairs, house rentals, medical consultations, tuition fees, and even airline tickets.

The latest warning suggests this list is about to grow longer.

The timing is particularly precarious. RGM’s initial projection of 3.7 per cent retail growth for Q1 2026 already fell short of the 4.4 per cent retailers had hoped for in March.

Now, heading into the second half of the year, RGM has slashed its full-year retail sales growth forecast from 4.0 per cent to 3.8 per cent, citing the direct hit the conflict has taken on consumer purchasing power.

This caution is echoed at the highest levels of government. The Malaysian government has revised its annual inflation forecast upward to between 1.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent,a significant jump from the previous estimate of 1.3 per cent to 2.0 per cent.

RGM suggests the final figure will likely lean toward the upper end of that range.

For the manufacturing sector, the pressure is compounding. Prolonged conflict in the Middle East has not only spiked energy prices but disrupted supply chains and inflated logistics costs.

Manufacturers are now trapped in a difficult balancing act: absorb these costs and risk their margins, or pass them on to the consumer.

For the ordinary Malaysian, the implication is straightforward: the pinch felt at the petrol station, the grocery store, and the dining table is set to intensify.

With retailers across multiple sectors already adjusting prices to survive rising input costs, households must brace for a tighter budget.

RGM’s report also offers no sign of a reversal before the year ends, marking the second half of 2026 as a period of high-stakes navigation for both businesses and consumers.

PARIS, June 2 — Malo Gusto’s proven big match-winning temperament will stand him in good stead as he looks to challenge Jules Kounde for the starting berth as France’s right back at the World Cup.

The 23-year-old was part of the Chelsea team which won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season and despite the Londoners’ subsequent poor campaign—in which they finished a dismal 10th in the Premier League—Gusto has done enough to convince France coach Didier Deschamps to take him to the World Cup.

Gusto told AFP that it has been the fulfilment of a childhood dream and has made him “hugely proud”.

His inclusion in the 26-man squad speaks volumes of Deschamps’s view of Gusto, not least since midfielder Eduardo Camavinga missed out following Real Madrid’s mediocre campaign.

Indeed Gusto paid tribute to a Chelsea teammate as having brought him on in leaps and bounds since he joined from Ligue 1 side Lyon for a reported 30 million euros ($35 million) in 2023.

“Reece James has been tops,” said Gusto of the England fullback whom he is in direct competition with for a starting berth at club level.

“He is someone I have learnt a lot from since coming to Chelsea.”

Gusto, who has nine caps to his name since being blooded in 2023, says that former Barcelona and Brazil legend Dani Alves is the benchmark for him as a fullback.

“He is someone who had all the qualities of a modern fullback, who defended well but attacked very effectively as well,” said Gusto.

Gusto admits that he is far from the finished article, having only switched to fullback aged 17.

“Defensively there are a lot of areas where I could do better,” he said.

“In attack I could bring more with regards to statistics.

“But I am working on it, indeed working very hard.

“That is what pays off every time. It is not magic, everyone knows that.

“When you work as you should, you obtain results.

“That is what helps me a lot. It is because of that that I am in the French squad.”

Reference point

Gusto, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Paris Saint Germain’s two-time Champions League-winning forward Bradley Barcola all came through the Lyon academy at the same time.

“To see us three here is something really beautiful,” he said.

“The Lyon youth system is recognised worldwide.

“There is a Lyon DNA: Bradley, Rayan and myself, we are all ball players.

“The academy taught us a lot about how to play.

“To not be afraid of using the ball in the best possible fashion.”

As France bid to regain the World Cup that they won in 2018 before losing the 2022 final to Argentina, Gusto said that the whole squad is on the same page as Deschamps leads the national side for the final time at a major tournament.

“That helps, of course,” he said.

“I endeavour to bring my energy, my carefree attitude as well.

“I am there to put my brick in the building.

“We have players like Kylian (Mbappe), Ousmane (Dembele), who are among the best players in the world.

“To have connections with them on the pitch is magnificent.”

Kounde may be the incumbent right back but he is four years older than Gusto, who has a long-term objective.

“I would like to become a reference point as a right back,” he said.

“It is a target that attracts me, which I must attain.

“I would like also to be able to say I won this World Cup.

“To have played in another as well.” — AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — As football fans count down to the Fifa World Cup 2026, Hasbro is looking to bring some of the tournament excitement into living rooms with a new collection of officially licensed Fifa-themed games.

The range, developed in partnership with Fifa, features football-inspired versions of popular titles including Monopoly, Monopoly Deal and Connect 4, alongside collectible trading cards designed around the world’s biggest football tournament.

The launch comes as anticipation builds for the Fifa World Cup 2026, with brands increasingly finding new ways to engage fans beyond the matches themselves.

According to Hasbro, the collection is aimed at football fans, families and casual gamers, offering a mix of strategy, competition and interactive gameplay inspired by the tournament.

Among the highlights is the Monopoly Panini Prizm: Fifa World Cup Board Game, which allows players to build teams using football stars featured on Panini cards while competing to take control of historic Fifa World Cup matches.

The collection also includes Monopoly Panini Prizm: Fifa World Cup Trading Cards, which can be collected, traded and incorporated into gameplay, as well as Connect 4 Shots Fifa World Cup 2026, a football-themed version of the classic game that incorporates fast-paced competitive play.

Meanwhile, Monopoly Deal Fifa World Cup 2026 Edition adapts the popular card game format with football-inspired player sets and action cards designed around the unpredictability of the sport.

Hasbro said the collection is intended to complement Fifa watch parties, family gatherings and social game nights, offering fans another way to engage with the tournament as excitement builds towards kick-off in 2026.

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Scholss Nymphenburg.

Munich is a top European city for urban vibrancy, culture, and a fascinating, beautiful heritage spanning the Middle Ages, the baroque and rococo periods of the 18th century, and beyond. The city reflects well the massive wealth of the Bavarian nobility over the centuries. Although not captured here, I also loved the extensive neighbourhoods immediately surrounding Munich's Altstadt, with its many trendy cafes, great restaurants, and young people, as well as beautiful, lively parks such as the English Garden.

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