Nation

Nation's interests take priority over individual states' rights, King decrees

KUALA LUMPUR: While the rights of the states must be respected, Malaysia's interests as a nation must come first, decrees His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia.

South Korea

Bitter cold to grip South Korea from Jan 20 onward

SEOUL: After a brief spell of warmer-than-usual weather, South Korea is set to face a strong cold snap from Tuesday (Jan 20) through the weekend, with daily lows in Seoul expected to hover near minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Economy

China's Q4 GDP growth slows to 3-year low, full-year pace meets official target

BEIJING: China's economic growth slowed to a three-year low in the fourth quarter as domestic demand softened, and while the full-year pace hit Beijing's target, trade tensions and structural imbalances pose significant risks to the outlook.

Nation

Melaka announces special public holiday for civil servants on 1 Ramadan

MELAKA: The Melaka state government has announced a special holiday for all state and federal civil servants in the state on 1 Ramadan, which is expected to fall on Feb 19.

Cambodia

Cambodian displacement crisis enters prolonged phase; tens of thousands unable to return home

PHNOM PENH: The displacement crisis triggered by last year's border clashes with Thailand is entering a prolonged and uncertain phase, with more than 140,000 people still unable to return home safely, according to the latest humanitarian situation report.

Nation

MMEA detains boat, three crew over identification documents

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained a local fishing boat and three foreign crew members on Sunday (Jan 19) for failing to produce valid identification documents.

Thailand

Bangkok PM2.5: Chatuchak highest as pollution levels raise health concerns

BANGKOK: Bangkok's Air Quality Information Centre reported PM2.5 (fine particulate matter of 2.5 microns or less) in the capital at 7am on Monday (Jan 19).

Nation

Housewife loses nearly RM240,000 to bogus investment scheme

BATU PAHAT: A Chinese national lost RM239,000 after falling prey to an investment scam here.

Vietnam

Foreign tourist wraps bananas around body to feed wild monkeys in Danang, Vietnam

HANOI: A foreign tourist wrapped ripe bananas around his body to approach wild monkeys on Son Tra Peninsula in Danang, Vietnam. Authorities intervened, warning the visitor and ordering an immediate halt to the feeding.

Nation

BM must be given priority, decrees King

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, decreed that the national language Bahasa Malaysia must continue to be given priority.

SEARCH Scholar Series

Artificial Intelligence Malaysia (AIM): A Digital Silk Road for All Malaysians

In the grand tradition of Malaysian ambition, from the Petronas Twin Towers to our world-class highways, the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, announced in Budget 2026 a new, quiet giant: a groundbreaking RM2bil commitment to build a Sovereign AI Cloud.

Indonesia

Missing Indonesian hiker found dead on Mt Slamet

JAKARTA: Search and rescue (SAR) workers finally found Syafiq Ridhan Ali Razan, who went missing while hiking on Mount Slamet on Wednesday (Jan 14). Ali was reported missing on Dec 30 and was found after a 16-day search.

Nation

King wants corruption stamped out

KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, has stressed the importance of tracking down those who enable corruption in the nation, and expressed disappointment over the recent graft cases involving the Armed Forces.

Nation

Cops nab 72 in raid on Klang cockfighting den

PETALING JAYA: A cockfighting den in Klang has been busted in a police raid.

Asia & Oceania

Jepun Untukmu: A Muslim-friendly travel guide to Japan

JNTO KL's campaign highlights popular attractions, lesser-known spots and Muslim-friendly amenities across Japan.

AI

Does AI create new ideas, or just repeat old ones?

Systems like OpenAI's GPT-5 are accelerating research in math, biology and chemistry. But there is a debate over whether it can do that work on its own.

India

Electronics and shrimp: Analysts cautious despite India’s export growth to China

NEW DELHI: India is selling more goods to China, buoyed by increased trade in mobile phone components and other products.

Tennis

Tennis-Gauff crushes Rakhimova to reach Australian Open second round

MELBOURNE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff ‌started her quest for a maiden ‌Australian Open title with a 6-2 6-3 win over Kamilla Rakhimova at Rod Laver ‍Arena to reach the ‍second round on ‌Monday.

World

Australian boy in critical condition after Sydney Harbour shark attack

SYDNEY, Jan ‌19 (Reuters) - An Australian boy was in critical condition after ‌being bitten by a shark in Sydney, authorities ‌said on Monday, after heavy rain created ideal conditions for sharks to enter the city's harbour.

AseanPlus News

Australia parliament returns with moment of silence for Bondi mass shooting victims

SYDNEY: Australia's parliament returned early on Monday (Jan 19) with speeches and a moment of silence for those killed in the Bondi Beach mass shooting, as victims' families watched from the public gallery.