January 23, 2026
Local
Local
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.
SEOUL, March 14 — A spare power bank may have sparked the Air Busan plane fire in January, according to South Korea’s transport ministry. Scorch marks on the battery debris suggest insulation failure, but investigators have yet to determine the exact cause.
The January 28 fire broke out 20 minutes after the delayed flight from Busan to Hong Kong was scheduled to depart. It started in an overhead luggage bin above row 30 on the left side of the Airbus A321ceo. The aircraft was destroyed, but all 170 passengers and six crew safely evacuated.
The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board is leading the probe. While no faults were found in the plane’s electrical system, lithium batteries in devices like power banks, phones, and e-cigarettes are known fire risks.
Following the incident, South Korea tightened flight battery rules from March 1, requiring passengers to carry power banks and e-cigarettes with them, not store them in bins, and avoid charging devices onboard.
Globally, lithium battery incidents on planes have surged, with the US FAA recording three overheating cases every two weeks in 2023, up from one per week in 2018. — Reuters
