Nintendo to unveil upgrade to best-selling Switch console

Technology

April 2, 2025

(FILES) This file photo taken on November 6, 2023 shows a woman looking at a Nintendo Switch display at a Nintendo store in central Tokyo. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP)

PARIS (AFP) – Japanese video game giant Nintendo is set to unveil the new version of its hugely popular Switch console on Wednesday, with the update eagerly awaited by both gamers and investors.

Everything from the release date to the price of the Switch 2 is set to be announced at 1300 GMT during a one-hour video broadcast online following a brief first glimpse in mid-January.

Very similar visually to its best-selling predecessor, which was launched in 2017, the Switch 2 features a larger screen, a wider stand, and retains its detachable “Joy-Con” controllers.

It will also be more powerful than the original model while keeping its hybrid console concept, allowing players to use it both on-the-go and connected to a TV – a key factor in the success of the first Switch which has sold 150 million units worldwide.

Experts say no major gaming revolution is expected with the Switch 2 to rival the 2006 appearance of motion controls on the Wii, or to a lesser extent, the Wii U’s screen-controller in 2012.

“When you ask gamers, they mention performance and game software, but in reality, they seem to want the same experience as the original Switch,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Japanese brokerage Toyo Securities.

“I think what they truly want is simply higher performance.”

June release?

Piers Harding-Rolls, an expert at Ampere Analysis, a London-based consultancy, said a successful launch was “fundamental” for Nintendo’s future.

“There is huge demand for a better version of the original Switch,” he added.

Despite recent diversification efforts into movies and theme parks, Nintendo’s core business still relies heavily on video games.

The company cut its profit forecasts in February due to slowing sales of its star console.

Industry rumours suggest a possible June release, with Yasuda estimating six million units would be initially made available.

In the long run, Nintendo could sell 19 million units in 2025 and 21 million the following year, according to Toyo Securities estimates.

Another key factor is pricing, which experts estimate will range from USD430 to USD540.

Uncertainty over US import tariffs also remains a concern, although Nintendo has recently switched an increasing amount of production from China to Vietnam, which faces lower customs duties.

New Mario Kart?

As the video game industry faces a global slowdown, marked by waves of layoffs, the arrival of the Switch 2 could revitalise console sales which have been declining worldwide.

Sales fell by 35 per cent in 2024 year-on-year in the United States, according to data from US market research firm Circana.

The key to the success of the Switch 2 is likely to be its games line-up.

“They are hugely important, especially for early adopters,” said Harding-Rolls, as fans eagerly wait to know the exclusive titles for the new console.

During its January preview, Nintendo revealed a few seconds of a new Mario Kart game, suggesting that it was bringing back one of its most popular franchises.

With over 75 million copies sold on the Wii U and Switch, Mario Kart 8 is the second best-selling game in Nintendo’s history, close to Wii Sports’ record of 82 million copies.

Nintendo’s recent announcement that players can loan digital versions of Switch games to friends via “virtual game cards” could also encourage players to invest in a second console, making game sharing easier.

Starting Friday, select players chosen by lottery will get to test the new console at events in New York, Tokyo, Paris and other cities.

Crowds flock to Istana Nurul Iman for final day of Hari Raya Open House

National

April 2, 2025

The second and final day of the Istana Nurul Iman Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House drew even larger crowds, as thousands of visitors—both from within Brunei and abroad—flocked to the palace on Wednesday for the royal family’s much-anticipated Hari Raya meet-and-greet.

From the early hours of the morning, the palace grounds were already abuzz with excitement, filled with people eager to take part in the festive tradition. Locals, residents, and tourists alike gathered in a show of unity and celebration, reflecting the enduring appeal of this annual event.

A highlight of the Hari Raya calendar for many, one of the most cherished moments of the occasion was the junjung ziarah audience with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, and members of the royal family.

This royal audience, a symbol of deep cultural and national significance, returned after a five-year pause following the global outbreak of COVID-19—making this year’s event all the more meaningful for those in attendance.

More details on Thursday’s Borneo Bulletin

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam alongside other male members of the royal family during the junjung ziarah. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI

Her Majesty Duli Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha binti Al-Marhum Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohamed Alam alongside Her Royal Highness Paduka Seri Pengiran Anak Isteri Pengiran Anak Sarah binti Pengiran Haji Salleh Ab Rahaman during the junjung ziarah. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI

Other female members of the royal family during the junjung ziarah. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI

One of the visitors at the Istana Nurul Iman. PHOTO: MUIZ MATDANI

20 agencies start probe on Subang Jaya gas pipeline blaze

Southeast Asia

April 2, 2025

SUBANG JAYA (Bernama) – Some 20 agencies will begin investigations and safety inspections at the location of the gas pipeline fire at Jalan Putra Harmoni Putra Height, Subang Jaya today.

The agencies include the Royal Malaysia Police, the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), the Public Works Department as well as local government authorities and the district office.

Subang Jaya police chief ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat said that as of this morning, Jalan Persiaran Harmoni was closed in stages to facilitate the movement of security forces but will be opened in stages.

“A briefing will be held with all the agencies involved to conduct investigations and take follow-up actions at the scene,” he told reporters at the Incident Command Post (PKTK) today.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Director-General Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said his department had begun several major work activities including assessing losses to houses and vehicles affected by the gas pipeline explosion.

He said a team has been placed on standby to deal with any possibility of a fire incident.

Representatives from various security agencies held a discussion on April 1 following a fire involving a gas pipeline along Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya earlier on Tuesday. PHOTO: BERNAMA

“We will work with TNB to assess the situation regarding electrical wiring, especially exposed cable…whether the wiring is safe or further action is needed to enable us to make immediate connections in the area,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

Nor Hisham said the department is paying attention to the structures of houses that were burnt or affected by the explosion to ensure the safety of the residents involved.

“If they are unsafe or dangerous, we may carry out demolition work, for example, the roofs,” he said.

The department, he said, was also mobilising its teams from Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and the Headquarters to speed up the investigation process and facilitate the movement of affected residents to return to their homes as soon as possible.

A check by Bernama in the area found that dozens of residents affected by the incident had gathered as early as 7.30 am to find out about the progress and status of their homes, as well as waiting their turn to return home to get essential items and important documents.

Also seen entering the area affected by the fire today were members from the Bukit Aman Tracker Dog Unit (K9) and the Forensic Investigation Unit.

Yesterday, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussien Omar Khan was reported to have said that inspections would be carried out by the agencies involved today before residents were allowed to return to their homes.

As of yesterday, a total of 364 people from 74 families affected by the fire were evacuated to two relief centres (PPS), namely at the Putra Height Mosque and the Subang Jaya City Council Multipurpose Hall (Camelia Hall).

Myanmar quake victim rescued after 5 days as aid calls grow

Southeast Asia

April 2, 2025

MANDALAY, Myanmar (AFP) – Rescuers on Wednesday pulled a man alive from the rubble five days after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, as calls grew for the junta to allow more aid in and halt attacks on rebels.

The shallow 7.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday flattened buildings across Myanmar, killing more than 2,700 people and making thousands more homeless.

Several leading armed groups fighting the military have suspended hostilities during the quake recovery, but junta chief Min Aung Hlaing vowed to continue “defensive activities” against “terrorists”.

UN agencies, rights groups and foreign governments have urged all sides in Myanmar’s civil war to stop fighting and focus on helping those affected by the quake, the biggest to hit the country in decades.

Hopes of finding more survivors are fading, but there was a moment of joy on Wednesday as a man was pulled alive from the ruins of a hotel in the capital Naypyidaw.

The 26-year-old hotel worker was extracted by a joint Myanmar-Turkish team shortly after midnight, the fire service and junta said.

Dazed and dusty but conscious, the man was pulled through a hole in the rubble and put on a stretcher, video posted on Facebook by the Myanmar Fire Services Department shows.

Call for peace

Min Aung Hlaing said Tuesday that the death toll had risen to 2,719, with more than 4,500 injured and 441 still missing.

But with patchy communication and infrastructure delaying efforts to gather information and deliver aid, the true scale of the disaster has yet to become clear, and the toll is likely to rise.

Relief groups say that that response has been hindered by continued fighting between the junta and the complex patchwork of armed groups opposed to its rule, which began in a 2021 coup.

Julie Bishop, the UN special envoy on Myanmar, called on all sides to “focus their efforts on the protection of civilians, including aid workers, and the delivery of life-saving assistance”.

Even before Friday’s earthquake, 3.5 million people were displaced by the fighting, many of them at risk of hunger, according to the United Nations.

Late Tuesday, an alliance of three of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic minority armed groups announced a one-month pause in hostilities to support humanitarian efforts in response to the quake.

The announcement by the Three Brotherhood Alliance followed a separate partial ceasefire called by the People’s Defence Force – civilian groups that took up arms after the coup to fight junta rule.

But there have been multiple reports of junta air strikes against rebel groups since the quake.

“We are aware that some ethnic armed groups are currently not engaged in combat, but are organising and training to carry out attacks,” said Min Aung Hlaing, mentioning sabotage against the electricity supply.

“Since such activities constitute attacks, the Tatmadaw (armed forces) will continue to carry out necessary defensive activities,” he said in a statement late Tuesday.

Thailand toll rises

Australia’s government decried the reported air strikes saying they “exacerbated the suffering of the people”.

“We condemn these acts and call on the military regime to immediately cease military operations and allow full humanitarian access to affected areas,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.

Amnesty International said “inhumane” military attacks were significantly complicating earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar.

“You cannot ask for aid with one hand and bomb with the other,” said the group’s Myanmar researcher Joe Freeman.

Hundreds of kilometres (miles) away, in the Thai capital Bangkok, workers continued to scour a pile of rubble that formed when Friday’s tremors collapsed a 30-storey skyscraper.

The structure had been under construction at the time, and its crash buried dozens of builders – few of whom have come out alive.

The death toll at the site has risen to 22, with more than 70 still believed trapped in the rubble.

UK imposes online entry permit on European visitors

World

April 2, 2025

LONDON (AFP) – European visitors to the UK will need a new online entry permit from Wednesday as the British government shakes up longstanding travel rules.

Travellers from Europe will now need a digital Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) permit, which UK officials said they were rolling out to boost security and streamline entry processes.

There will be a buffer period which could last several months.

The permit can be bought online in the next few days for GBP10 (EUR12), but the price is rising swiftly from April 9 to GBP16.

The ETA has already been introduced for American, Canadian and other visa-exempt nationals visiting the UK, which left the European Union in 2020.

The head of the UK’s border force Phil Douglas said the latest rollout was part of a wider plan to bring in the ETA for visitors from around the world.

“This scheme is essentially a border security measure,” he said, adding that he did not expect Wednesday’s launch to cause disruption.

The permit would speed up entry times and allow officials to check information including a traveller’s immigration history or criminal record, he said.

“The quid pro quo for the individual, though, is that we are building a contactless border, so if they’re cleared for entry, they’ll be able to use our new eGates and they’ll be able to go through the border much more quickly,” he added.

“People will still be able to get on planes and trains while this introductory period takes place,” he said, referring to the buffer period, adding that it was expected to last several months, until “September or October.”

The permit allows visits of up to six months. It is digitally linked to the applicant’s passport and is valid for two years.

Border Force director general Phil Douglas gives an interview to AFP in London, on April 1, 2025. In a shake-up of long-standing travel rules, European nationals heading to the UK will from April 2, 2025 need a mandatory entry permit, which the British government says will strengthen border security. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

The application, which can be made on a smartphone app or through the government website, has been open to Europeans since the start of March. It applies to nationals of some 30 European countries, including all those in the European Union except Ireland.

The applicant will need to provide a photo of their passport and their face. The process takes around 10 minutes, according to the UK’s Home Office.

In most cases, an application decision is made within minutes but the government recommends allowing up to three working days.

It will be required for babies and children, but flight passengers transiting without crossing the UK border are exempt from the scheme after pressure from Heathrow which feared a loss of passenger footfall connecting through Europe’s busiest airport.

Almost 84 million passengers passed through Heathrow in 2024 – a third from the neighbouring EU.

The scheme was first launched in 2023 for Qatar, before being extended to five regional Gulf neighbours.

In January, it was expanded to nationals of around another 50 countries and territories, including Argentina, South Korea and New Zealand.

Almost 1.1 million visitors were issued with ETAs before the end of 2024, according to the Home Office.

It is not applicable to UK residents or anyone who already has a UK immigration status.

The ETA mirrors the ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries, including France and Germany, which has been delayed until 2026.

Asian markets edge up but uncertainty rules ahead of Trump tariffs

Business

April 2, 2025

HONG KONG (AFP) – Asian markets edged up Wednesday as nervous investors brace for Donald Trump’s wave of tariffs later in the day, though speculation about what he has in store is stoking uncertainty on trading floors.

Equities have been battered leading up to the US president’s announcement – which he has dubbed “Liberation Day” – with warnings that friend and foe are in the crosshairs after what he says is years of “ripping off” the United States.

He has trailed the measures for weeks, initially suggesting they would match whatever levies other countries impose.

But US media reported he has also considered either blanket 20 per cent levies or another plan where some countries get preferential treatment.

Sweeping auto tariffs of 25 per cent announced last week are also due to come into effect on Thursday.

The White House has said Trump will unveil his decision at 4pm in Washington (2000 GMT), after Wall Street markets close, with the Republican promising a new “golden age” of US industry.

However, officials admitted he was still ironing out the details late Tuesday.

Analysts said the ongoing uncertainty was spooking markets.

“Investors and company management dislike uncertainty, and the piecemeal, unreliable way in which tariff announcements are being delivered is creating plenty of it,” said Oliver Blackbourn and Adam Hetts at Janus Henderson Investments in a commentary.

“Estimates on what the average tariff rate will look like range from a few percentage points in moderate outcomes to double-digit levels in more forceful scenarios,” they added.

“What does seem less uncertain is that tariffs are, without much exception, likely to be bad for economic growth, consumers, and markets.”

Pepperstone Group’s Chris Weston said the suggestion that the tariffs would be effective immediately would provide some sort of certainty, even if it limited the scope for talks.

“This scenario – while hardly a positive for economics or earnings assumptions – would increase the conviction behind how we respond to the ‘facts’,” he explained.

“That said, life is never straightforward, and we will still need to consider the counter response from other countries.”

The planned duties have ramped up fears of a global trade war after several countries warned they were lining up their responses.

With that in mind, economists have warned that economic growth could take a hit and inflation reignite, dealing a blow to hopes that central banks would continue cutting interest rates.

In early trade, Asian markets mostly rose, though they were fluctuating between gains and losses after a recent selloff.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington, Taipei and Manila were all up, Tokyo was flat and Singapore and Seoul slipped.

Safe haven gold held just below its record high USD3,149.00 touched Tuesday.

And HSBC strategists led by Max Kettner warned Wednesday might not mark the end of the tariff uncertainty.

“We’d argue the potential is in fact higher for the April 2 deadline to introduce even more uncertainty – and hence prolonged broad-based weakness in leading indicators,” they said.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi swung slightly higher in Hong Kong to claw back some of Tuesday’s fall of more than five percent that came after it confirmed one of its electric vehicles was involved in an accident in China that reportedly left three people dead.

Trump to hold a meeting on possible investors to buy TikTok with possible ban at stake

Business

April 2, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Donald Trump will hold a Wednesday meeting with aides about possible investors who could buy a stake in TikTok, a deal that could potentially stop the social media site from being banned in the United States.

The details of the meeting were confirmed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

There has been uncertainty about the popular video app after a law took effect on Jan. 19 requiring its China-based parent, ByteDance, to divest its ownership because of national security concerns. After taking office, Trump gave TikTok a 75-day reprieve by signing an executive order that delayed until April 5 the enforcement of the law requiring a sale or effectively imposing a ban.

Among the possible investors are the software company Oracle and the investment firm Blackstone.

Likely to attend the Oval Office meeting with Trump on Wednesday are Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.

CBS News first reported on the meeting.

Talking to reporters Sunday while on Air Force Once, Trump said he would “like to see TikTok remain alive.” He previously indicated that he might consider reducing tariffs against China if the country approves the sale.

During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok on national security grounds, which was halted by the courts before his administration negotiated a sale of the platform that eventually failed to materialize. He changed his position on the popular app during last year’s presidential election and has credited the platform with helping him win more young voters.

“I won the young vote by 36 points. Republicans generally don’t do very well with the young vote,” he said Sunday. “I think a lot of it could have been TikTok.”

Trump has said that the deadline on a TikTok deal could be extended further if needed. He previously proposed terms in which the US would have a 50 per cent stake in a joint venture. The administration hasn’t provided details on what that type of deal would entail.

TikTok and ByteDance have not publicly commented on the talks. It’s also unclear if ByteDance has changed its position on selling TikTok, which it said early last year it does not plan to do.

What will happen on April 5?

If TikTok is not sold to an approved buyer by April 5, the original law that bans it nationwide would once again go into effect. However, the deadline for the executive order doesn’t appear to be set in stone and the president has reiterated it could be extended further if needed.

Trump’s order came a few days after the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law that required ByteDance to divest or be banned in January. The day after the ruling, TikTok went dark for US users and came back online after Trump vowed to stall the ban.

The decision to keep TikTok alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court.

Who wants to buy TikTok?

Although it’s unclear if ByteDance plans to sell TikTok, several potential bidders have come forward in the past few months.

Aides for Vice President JD Vance, who was tapped to oversee a potential deal, have reached out to some parties, such as the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, to get additional details about their bids, according to a person familiar with the matter. In January, Perplexity AI presented ByteDance with a merger proposal that would combine Perplexity’s business with TikTok’s US operation.

Other potential bidders include a consortium organized by billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, which recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser. Investors in the consortium say they’ve offered ByteDance USD20 billion in cash for TikTok’s US platform. And if successful, they plan to redesign the popular app with blockchain technology they say will provide users with more control over their online data.

Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com, says he too has organized a consortium, which includes the CEO of the video game platform Roblox, and is offering ByteDance more than USD30 billion for TikTok.

Trump said in January that Microsoft was also eyeing the popular app. Other interested parties include Trump’s former Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and Rumble, the video site popular with some conservatives and far-right groups. In a post on X last March, Rumble said it was ready to join a consortium of parties interested in purchasing TikTok and serving as a tech partner for the company.

Meta’s head of AI research stepping down

Technology

April 2, 2025

MENLO PARK, Calif (AP) — The head of Meta’s artificial intelligence research division said she plans to step down, vacating a high-profile position at a time of intense competition in the development of AI technology.

Joelle Pineau, Meta’s vice president for AI research, said Tuesday she is leaving at the end of May after eight years with the company.

“Today, as the world undergoes significant change, as the race for AI accelerates, and as Meta prepares for its next chapter, it is time to create space for others to pursue the work,” she wrote in a social media post.

Meta — the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the move. Pineau didn’t announce a replacement.

Based in Montreal, where she is also a computer science professor at McGill University, Pineau has been the face of Meta’s “open-source” approach to building AI systems, such as its flagship large language model called Llama, in which core components are publicly released for others to use or modify.

Her announcement comes ahead of the company’s debut of a new LlamaCon AI conference on April 29.

In 2023, she began directing Meta’s AI research division, formerly known as Facebook AI Research, which had been founded a decade earlier by a group that included pioneering AI researcher Yann LeCun. LeCun stepped down as the group’s director in 2018 but remains Meta’s chief AI scientist.

April Fools’ Day is celebrated with pranks and hoaxes worldwide

Lifestyle

April 2, 2025

FILE – First lady Jill Biden waves as she boards a plane before departing from Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, Calif., April 1, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP, File)

AP – From France to Iceland to the United States, April Fools’ Day will be celebrated on Tuesday with practical jokes and elaborate hoaxes, so make sure to triple check viral posts and don’t leave your back open to any stray sticky notes.

The jokesters’ custom has been around for hundreds of years, although its exact birth is difficult to pinpoint. These days, depending on your location, it could be marked with a fish secretly pinned to someone’s back or a whoopee cushion or even news reports of flying penguins (yes, that actually happened ).

In the US, the pranks are typically followed by screams of “April Fools!” to make sure all are aware that they were the unsuspecting recipient of a practical joke.

Here are some thing to know about April Fools’ Day and its history:

Where did April Fools’ Day come from?

There are plenty of theories about where this day of pranks and hoaxes came from. It’s not clear exactly which one might be true. But what is clear is that April Fools’ Day has roots stretching back hundreds of years.

One idea is that it dates back to France in 1564, when King Charles IX moved the New Year celebration from its weeklong observance beginning March 25 to a celebration on Jan. 1, according to the Library of Congress. Those who forgot or were never told about the change were mocked. Although the library notes that the true history of the New Year is more complicated, as different parts of the country observed it on different days.

A similar theory ties April Fools’ Day to the 1582 change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, according to the library. But it explains that this type of origin story has been used to explain several holidays and may be more of a “migratory legend.”

And then there’s the theory that it could be connected to the March 21 vernal equinox, which is known as a day when people are tricked by unexpected weather changes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Whatever its origin, the first time there was clear documented reference to the day was in 1561 when the Flemish writer Eduard De Dene wrote in his poem about a nobleman sending his servant on pointless tasks, according to the Library of Congress. The servant soon realizes that he has been “sent on ‘fool’s errands’ because it’s April 1,” the library states.

What are some of the most famous April Fools’ Day pranks?

In 2021, then-first lady Jill Biden pretended to be a flight attendant on an airplane traveling from California to Washington. She wore a “Jasmine” nametag and passed out Dove ice cream bars while wearing a black mask, black pantsuit and wig. A few minutes later, “Jasmine” reemerged without the wig — revealing herself to be Jill Biden, laughing and proclaiming, “April Fools!”

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin became known for announcing outlandish ideas every April Fools’ Day soon after starting their company more than a quarter century ago. One year, Google posted a job opening for a Copernicus research center on the moon. Another year, the company said it planned to roll out a “scratch and sniff” feature on its search engine.

In 1992, NPR ‘s “Talk of the Nation” program announced that former-President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974, would be running for president, according to the Museum of Hoaxes. A comedian had impersonated Nixon to say, “I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.”

Outside of the US, one of the most notable pranks involved the BBC World Service in 1980 declaring that Big Ben would become a digital clock and be renamed Digital Dave, according to the UK Parliament.

How is April Fools’ Day celebrated around the world?

From Scotland to Iceland to the US, the day is honored in a wide array of ways.

In France, the day is known as poisson d’avril, or “April Fish,” and has long had a fish-themed pranking tradition. In modern times, it’s become more of a day for children to relish in attaching paper fish to their friends’ backs, Atlas Obscura says.

In Scotland, April Fools’ has a history of being a two-day event. April 1 is known as “Gowkie Day” or “Hunt the Gowk,” explained Encyclopedia Britannica. Gowk is a term used to describe a fool. On April 2, the celebration may become more physical, with children attaching “kick me” signs to people’s backs.

The day is also celebrated in Iceland, with the aim being to get people to “hlaupa apríl,” or “make an April run.” In other words, to trick someone in a way that makes them travel to a different location. News agencies have also been known to participate in pranking people. In 2014, for example, Iceland Review ran a story with the headline, “Google Signs Deal with Iceland,” saying the fake news was part of “a long-standing tradition of the Icelandic media.”

Malaysia gas pipeline inferno injures 100

Southeast Asia

April 2, 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – A massive fire caused by a gas pipeline leak forced people from their homes and injured more than 100 during Aidilfitri celebrations near Malaysia’s capital yesterday, fire officials said.

The inferno, which was visible kilometres away, was caused by “a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500 metres”, said fire officials in Selangor state near Kuala Lumpur.

The valve to the affected pipeline belonging to Malaysia’s state-run oil firm Petronas has been shut off, the fire officials said in a statement.

While the early morning blaze was brought under control in the afternoon, more than 100 people were injured, the fire department told AFP.

About 60 of the injured were hospitalised, Selangor deputy police chief Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan was quoted as saying by local broadcaster Astro Awani.

Residents watch a fire in Putra Heights in central Selangor state, Malaysia. PHOTO: AP

No deaths were reported but about 50 houses were affected by the blaze, the fire department said.

Residents were enjoying a public holiday for Aidilfitri celebrations in Malaysia when they were forced to flee the suburban area.

Nizam Mohamad Asnizam, 49, who lives 100 metres from the site of the fire, fled from his house with his family in his car.

“When I woke up, I saw the fire raging, with an extraordinary sound. I have never experienced a fire with this kind of sound. The sound was terrifying. It felt like a jet engine was next to me,” he told AFP.

“Stepping on the floor was like stepping on a hot wok. The heat was like putting your head in an oven, it felt like I was burning,” said Nizam

Dashcam footage shared online showed a column of fire from what appears to be an explosion, creating a massive fireball that shot into the sky.

Another video shared online showed a residential area covered in smoke while a huge fire blazed in the background. Singed trees and melted cars are also seen in the video.

Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said in a Facebook post that a temporary relief centre had been set up at a nearby mosque.

He warned the public to stay away from the area affected by the fire while investigations and rescue work were being carried out.

Borneo Bulletin OnlineThe Independent Newspaper in Brunei Darussalam, Sabah and Sarawak

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