General

Last year, initial hopes for a revival of the stalled nuclear deal between the West and Iran were dashed, with Tehran instead coming under further western sanctions for supplying arms to Russia. Tehran is also grappling with a protest movement that’s described as the biggest challenge to the Islamic Republic in decades. Meanwhile in Israel, a new government has been sworn in, helmed by an old hand, Benjamin Netanyahu. However the presence of far-right groups in the government that have many fearing actions that could inflame tensions with Palestine. Middle East expert Dr James Dorsey gives us an overview of what to watch on these international fronts.

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The minutes from December’s FOMC meeting have been released. Tony Nash, CEO of Complete Intelligence gives us his insights on what this means for the pace of rate hikes in the US. He also gives us his views on oil price as the black gold has fallen by 9% in the last two trading days.

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Whether its a messy split or an amicable end, your favorite band parting ways is always hard to get over. Thankfully, 2023 is following the trend of reconciliation & reunion with plenty of bands and artists vowing to get the show back on the road. To kick off the new year, we run-down some confirmed, some rumoured comebacks - while taking a dig at some acts which ruined their legacies with disastrous returns.

The Pulse brings you the latest news in the music world and fresh new music that might've missed your radar.

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Louis Cole - Park Your Car on My Face

Little Simz - Heart on Fire

Sessa - Pele da Esfera

Pink Pantheress - Take Me Home

By The Way is a rapid-fire segment that gives you a snapshot of developing stories in the music world. This week, stories on the death of Earth, Wind & Fire's Drummer, Fred White, Foo Fighters moving on after the passing of Taylor Hawkins, PUBG established their own music label and Celine Dion snubbed from Top 200 Greatest Singers list.

Cruise Control returns on our first episode in 2023 promising the latest in local launches; a battle between two cars from the same company; and a drive review of an electric car, picking up swiftly from where we left off.

On the local front, Volvo unveiled their latest all electric vehicle as the sporty C40 Recharge arrives to satiate customers looking for a coupe type SUV. Honda recently linked up with Bomba in their efforts to prepare rescue personnel in handling road accidents involving their hybrid vehicles. We also check in on Proton's foray into South Africa as more export units of the X50 & X70 SUVs make their way across the continent. 

Next, we evaluate the options of the Ford Mustang, in case you're in the market for one, pitting the 5 litre V8 Mustang against the newly minted Mustang Mach E. And we round it off with Daniel's impressions on Mazda's latest offering in the compact EV segment, as he drove around in the eco-friendly MX-30. 

In Noah Baumbach's first attempt at an adaptation (White Noise was originally a novel written in 1985 by Don DeLillo), he takes on the story of a suburban family forced to evacuate their home following a chemical leak nearby that causes toxic black cloud over the region. Starring Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle, the film has been getting praise for its performances and darkly comedic tone. We review the movie and talk about how it fits within the larger landscape of Baumbach's quirky cinema.  

We kick off the year with a mini-series, bouncing off the 2023 resolutions we want our ministries to achieve. This time around, we discuss what's needed for our education. First, we discuss some key issues with former education minister, Dr Maszlee Malik. Then, we check in with an education advocate on what they'd like to see.

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A tweet has questioned the long drive to work that people experience every day, and whether it's reasonable. We get into it.

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A three minute video of beachgoers in bikinis at a beach on Pulau Besar has been making the rounds on social media. This has prompted a response from Che Sukri Che Mat, chief of the Melaka Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIM), who said that they were planning to put up signboards, to remind tourists to dress modestly, and not partake in activities that are considered culturally sensitive. We get into this.

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