Motorsport

Motor racing-Boost, Overtake and Recharge; F1 announces new terms for 2026

LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Formula One fans will be hearing a lot about Boost, Overtake, Active Aero and Recharge in 2026 after saying farewell to DRS, the drag reduction system that provided an extra burst of speed for overtaking.

Technology

Exclusive-Google works to erode Nvidia's software advantage with Meta's help

Dec 17 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Google is working on a new initiative to make its artificial intelligence chips better at running PyTorch, the world's most widely used AI software framework, in a move aimed at weakening Nvidia's longstanding dominance of the AI computing market, according to people familiar with the matter.

Sabah & Sarawak

Meeting on Sabah's return of 40% revenue scheduled for Dec 19, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: A meeting to further discuss the return of 40 percent of Sabah's revenue between the state and Federal governments is expected to take place this Friday (Dec 19).

Sabah & Sarawak

Bung’s son among four candidates identified for Kinabatangan, Lamag, says Sabah Umno chief

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has identified four potential candidates for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state seat by-elections, its chairman Datuk Jafry Ariffin said.

Technology

Brazil to get satellite internet from Chinese rival to Starlink in 2026

BRASILIA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Chinese low Earth orbit satellite company SpaceSail will start providing internet access to remote areas in Brazil in the first half of 2026, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's chief of staff, Rui Costa, said on Wednesday.

Nation

Ban on bringing pets into shopping malls remains in place, says Selangor exco

SHAH ALAM: The ban on bringing pets into shopping malls in Selangor remains in place, said state Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim.

Badminton

Aaron-Wooi Yik beat Indonesian rivals in dramatic opener in Hangzhou

PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Sohibul Fikri in their Group B match at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Wednesday (Dec 17).

Japan

Finland PM apologises to Asian countries over MPs' mocking posts

HELSINKI: Finland's prime minister apologised on Wednesday (Dec 17) to citizens of Japan, China and South Korea after MPs sparked outrage by posting pictures of themselves making derogatory squinting gestures.

AseanPlus News

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Wednesday (Dec 17, 2025)

Here's a look at the news highlights from Asean countries in the Star-AseanPlus section for Wednesday (Dec 17, 2025)

Thailand

Thai PM Anutin urges Cambodia to negotiate if it acts rationally amidst escalating border tensions

BANGKOK: Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday (Dec 17) commented on the ongoing situation along the Thai-Cambodian border, as clashes entered their tenth day and two more Thai soldiers were reported dead.

Nation

SMG wins big at CIDB Media Awards

KUALA LUMPUR: Star Media Group (SMG) bagged top prizes in the Works Ministry Media Appreciation Night and the 2025 CIDB Construction Media Awards, clinching six awards across four of the seven categories contested.

Singapore

Singaporean man fined for posting vape content on social media, possession of vapes

SINGAPORE: In the first such prosecution, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has fined a man S$12,000 for posting e-vaporiser-related content on his social media accounts.

World

Nobel Peace laureate Machado doing well despite injured back, no longer in Oslo

OSLO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado is doing well, a spokesperson for the Venezuelan opposition leader said on Wednesday, despite sustaining an injury to her back during her recent flight from Venezuela.

Badminton

11 golds and Malaysia close in on 200-medal target

BANGKOK: What a welcome for the new Youth and Sports Minister Dr Taufiq Johari!

Philippines

China says Philippines distorted facts about incident near disputed atoll

BEIJING: China's defence ministry accused the Philippines on Wednesday (Dec 17) of distorting the facts about an incident involving the Chinese coastguard and Filipino fishermen near a South China Sea shoal, a charge Manila strongly rejected.

Other Sports

Farris fights through injury to win weightlifting bronze

CHONBURI: The pain was all worth it for young weightlifter Mohd Farris Haikal Kamarul in the end.

Nation

Hannah thanks PM for new ministerial role, wishes the best to Youth and Sports Ministry

PETALING JAYA: Newly appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh pledges to engage stakeholders in her new role, while wishing the best to her Youth and Sports Ministry colleagues over the past three years.

Singapore

Man to be charged with driving under influence of etomidate in first such case in Singapore

SINGAPORE: A 31-year-old man is set to be charged on Thursday (Dec 18) with driving under the influence of etomidate, in the first such case in Singapore.

Nation

Cambodia, Thailand agree to attend Asean Foreign Ministers meet in KL, says PM

PUTRAJAYA: Cambodia and Thailand have both agreed to attend the Asean Foreign Ministers special meeting on Dec 22 in Kuala Lumpur to kickstart talks to prevent further escalation along the disputed border, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

News

Public urged to stay vigilant amid Northeast Monsoon

KUALA LUMPUR: The public has been reminded to remain vigilant and to comply with instructions from the authorities following unstable weather conditions caused by the Northeast Monsoon currently affecting the country, particularly in the East Coast states.