Entertainment

Every cent you take: Sting, ex-Police band mates in royalty battle

Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland are taking legal action against Sting, whose real name is Gordon Sumner, arguing they are entitled to the added royalties.

South Korea

Two men behind South Korea's worst-ever wildfires get suspended prison terms

UISEONG, South Korea: A court sentenced two men to suspended prison terms Friday (Jan 16) for starting the South Korea's worst-ever wildfires last year, which ravaged southeastern parts of the country for nearly a week and left over two dozen dead, Yonhap News Agency reported

Energy

Oil prices inch up as market evaluates supply risks

OIL prices rose slightly on Friday as market participants weighed concerns about supply risks, though the chances of a U.S. strike on Iran have receded.

World

US lawmakers arrive in Copenhagen to counter Trump's Greenland threats

COPENHAGEN, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A bipartisan ‌delegation of U.S. lawmakers will meet with the leaders of Denmark and Greenland on Friday to ‌reassure them of congressional support despite President Donald Trump's threats to seize the Arctic island.

AseanPlus News

The world’s most powerful passports 2026: Malaysia in ninth place

BANGKOK: In the modern era, cross-border travel is more than just a matter of convenience; it is a reflection of a nation's "bargaining power" and "stability."

Badminton

BWF act after players raise health concerns at Indian Open

PETALING JAYA: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) said improvements have been made following complaints from players over unhealthy conditions at the ongoing Indian Open in New Delhi.

AseanPlus News

Australia warns of floods, fires after cars washed away

SYDNEY: Australia's emergency services warned people Friday (Jan 16) to stay prepared for sudden downpours and dangerous bushfires in the country's east after a flash flood swept cars into the sea.

Commodities

CPO to trade around RM4,000 a tonne in 2026, according to Kenanga

KUALA LUMPUR: Kenanga Investment Bank Bhd expects crude palm oil (CPO) to trade around RM4,000 per tonne over 2026 from RM4,308 in 2025 on the back of a still-tight global edible oil supply despite a supply uptick with inventories unlikely to improve significantly.

Family

What the autistic Barbie means to Malaysian families raising ASD daughters

Parents and NGOs weigh in on whether the doll empowers autistic girls or if it reduces their experiences to a single narrative.

AI

Fury over Grok sexualised images despite new restrictions

Global outrage persisted Jan 15 over sexualised deepfakes created by Elon Musk's AI tool Grok, even after his social media platform X said it was blocking the chatbot from undressing images in certain locations.

Technology

Japan probing Musk's Grok AI service over inappropriate images

TOKYO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - ‌Japan said on Friday that it has become ‌the latest country to probe X over Elon ‌Musk's artificial intelligence service Grok, stating that the government would consider every possible option to prevent the generation of inappropriate images. 

Japan

Anime therapy trial for youth launched in Japan

YOKOHAMA: A Japanese research team has launched a trial of "anime therapy," a method in which animated characters provide counselling to young people facing social challenges, Jiji Press reported.

Nation

Appeals court sets June 15 to hear prosecution's appeal against Yusoff Rawther's acquittal

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has set June 15 to hear the prosecution's appeal against a High Court's decision to acquit and discharge Muhammed Yusoff Rawther, a former research assistant to a politician, on charges of trafficking cannabis and possessing two imitation firearms.

Singapore

Bird poo fails to take shine off Singapore badminton star Loh Kean Yew’s win at India Open

SINGAPORE: National badminton star Loh Kean Yew is fast, quick and nimble on court but for the first time on Thursday (Jan 15), his game was slowed down by bird poo.

Nation

Defence, police procurement linked to graft shelved for now, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR: All Armed Forces and Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) procurement decisions linked to corruption are temporarily shelved pending full compliance with procurement procedures, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Commodities

Gold slips as upbeat US data boosts dollar, dims rate-cut bets

GOLD extended its losses on Friday after stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data dampened expectations of the U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates sooner and softening geopolitical frictions shrunk safe-haven demand for the metal.

Arts

Three skeletal remains on display in KL reveal prehistoric culture of Nenggiri Valley

The exhibition offers visitors in KL a rare chance to study the remains up close and explore Malaysia's prehistoric life

Nation

Three victims stable following ammonia gas leak at Seremban toll plaza

SEREMBAN: The three individuals who experienced shortness of breath after an ammonia gas leak at the Seremban toll plaza are in stable condition.

Nation

Businessman loses over RM2.7mil in phone scam

KUALA TERENGGANU: A businessman lost over RM2.7mil after falling victim to a phone scam.

Japan

Tokyo's Yamanote loop train services fully restored after power outage

TOKYO: Tokyo's Yamanote Line fully resumed train services early Friday (Jan 16) afternoon after a power outage paralysed the vital part of the capital's transportation network from the day's first scheduled run, the operator JR East said, Kyodo News reported.