Swimming

Swimming-Ledecky clocks second-fastest 1500m free swim at Pro Series

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Nine-time Olympic ‌gold medalist Katie Ledecky clocked the second-fastest swim ever ‌in the women's 1,500-metre freestyle at the 2026 U.S. Pro ‌Swim Series event in Austin on Wednesday, winning the race in 15 minutes, 23.21 seconds.

Singapore

13 weeks’ jail for nursing home employee in Singapore who choked, pushed elderly man against bed rails

SINGAPORE: While working as a healthcare assistant at a nursing home, a man pushed an 87-year-old patient's head against the bed rails and choked him as he was trying to speak.

Markets

FBM KLCI on a roll, notches fifth straight gain

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia extended its rally for a fifth straight session to end at an intraday high, with technology and semiconductor counters leading gains.

Technology

ASML tops $500 billion market cap as TSMC results ignite semis rally

Jan 15 - ‌Shares in ASML ‌surged to a new ‌all-time high on Thursday, pushing its market capitalisation past ‍the $500 billion milestone ‍and cementing ‌its lead as Europe's most ‍valuable ​company.

World

Saudi Arabia pledges $500 million Yemen development after UAE withdrawal

RIYADH, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia ‌has announced a slew of development projects across southern Yemen worth about $500 ‌million, many in areas long-held by the United Arab Emirates and ‌allied separatists who were routed in a Saudi-backed offensive this month.

Nation

RTS Link construction on track for completion by end 2026

PETALING JAYA: The Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project connecting Malaysia and Singapore is progressing smoothly and is expected to be completed on schedule by the end of this year, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Technology

UK regulator says its X deepfake probe will continue

LONDON, Jan ‌15 (Reuters) - British media regulator ‌Ofcom said on Thursday ‌its formal investigation into Elon Musk's X over its Grok AI ‍chatbot's sexually intimate ‍deepfake images ‌would continue, even as it welcomed ‍the ​company's recent policy change.

Cybersecurity

Microsoft disrupts cybercrime service linked to AI-enabled fraud

Microsoft on Jan 14 said it has taken coordinated legal action in the United States and Britain to disrupt a low-cost subscription service called RedVDS that helps cybercriminals carry out lucrative scams.

Nation

MACC wants law on deferred prosecution agreements to be expedited

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wants the law governing the mechanism for Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPA) to be tabled as soon as possible.

Nation

Ex-insurance agent pleads guilty to obtaining loan using fake documents

KUALA LUMPUR: A former insurance agent has been fined RM14,000 by the Sessions Court here after he admitted to cheating a bank and using false documents to obtain a special loan.

Banking

China central bank to cut some sector-specific rates to boost economy

BEIJING: China's central bank announced on Thursday cuts to some sector-specific interest rates to provide an early boost to the economy, and signalled it has room this year for further reductions in banks' cash reserve requirements and for broader rate cuts.

China

China midwife accidentally severs baby’s middle finger during Caesarean section

SHANGHAI: Social media in China has been shocked and outraged by a midwife who cut off a newborn baby's finger when severing his umbilical cord during a Caesarean section.

Nation

MACC to wrap up RM5mil graft probe on ex-minister in two weeks, says Azam

PUTRAJAYA: The investigation into a former minister suspected of receiving bribes is expected to take one to two weeks to complete, says Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.

Technology

Wikipedia owner signs on Microsoft, Meta in AI content training deals

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Wikipedia on Thursday unveiled ‌partnerships with several Big Tech companies including Microsoft, Meta and Amazon, marking a ‌major step up in the non-profit's ability to monetize tech firms' reliance on ‌its content.

Corporate News

Ericsson plans to shed 1,600 jobs in Sweden

STOCKHOLM: Ericsson plans to cut some 1,600 jobs in Sweden, the telecommunications equipment maker said on Thursday, doubling down on recent cost-saving measures that have helped it weather a prolonged downturn in telecoms spending.

Tennis

Tennis-Top trio eye Grand Slam glory with Sabalenka targeting third Australian Open crown

MELBOURNE, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Australian Open favourite Aryna ‌Sabalenka headlines a powerful cast of characters at Melbourne Park along with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff as they look to ‌shape the early-season narrative at the year's opening Grand Slam.

Nation

Doctor to be charged with murdering wife and son in JB

JOHOR BARU: A 33-year-old doctor will be charged at the Magistrate's Court on Friday (Jan 16) with allegedly murdering his wife and young son.

Cambodia

Cambodia protests Thai seizure of fishing boat, demands respect for sovereignty

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has issued a strong diplomatic protest against Thailand following the seizure of a Cambodian fishing boat and the arrest of four Cambodian fishermen by the Thai navy in what Phnom Penh says were Cambodian territorial waters off Koh Kong province earlier this month.

Technology

South Korea to keep monitoring US chip tariffs to minimise impact, industry minister says

SEOUL: South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said on Thursday that the government will keep monitoring developments on U.S. tariffs on certain AI semiconductor chips to minimise the impact on local industries, according to a ministry statement.

World

Singapore PM strips Singh of Leader of Opposition post

SINGAPORE, Jan ‌15 (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stripped Pritam Singh of his post as Leader of the Opposition on ‌Thursday, saying his position had become untenable after his conviction for lying to parliament.