Nation

Rompin cops seek public help to locate woman missing since August

KUANTAN: Police are seeking the public's assistance in locating a woman reported missing since Aug 13 last year.

Laos

From soil to cup: Laos earns its place on the world coffee map

VIENTIANE: Upon stepping onto the land of Laos, a rich and distinctive aroma of coffee subtly greets the senses.

Forex

Ringgit likely to trade within narrow range next week ahead of BNM OPR decision

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit is likely to trade within a narrow range against the US dollar next week as investors take a cautious stance ahead of Bank Negara Malaysia's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on Jan 22.

Tennis

Tennis-Vondrousova withdraws from Australian Open with injury

MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - ‌Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova withdrew from the ‌Australian Open on Sunday after the Czech player ‌said she was dealing with a shoulder injury.

Tennis

Tennis-Fans frustrated as record day one crowd packs out Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Australian Open organisers ‌came under fire on a record-breaking opening day on Sunday as frustrated fans sweated in long queues and complained of confusion ‌over a halt in ticket sales.

Myanmar

Myanmar Foreign Ministry summons Timor-Leste's chargé d'affaires, issues stern warning

YANGON: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar has summoned the Charge d'Affaires of the Timor-Leste Embassy and issued a strong warning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

Social media

'Take a break': YouTube targets the endless scrolling of teens

YouTube has announced it will expand its protection settings for child and teen accounts with new tools to help parents manage their children's viewing and restrict content by age, including new controls for the popular short videos known as "Shorts".

Living

As Italy allows alcohol-free wine, might this be the month to try it?

If you are embracing dry January, why not make it the month you taste some alcohol-free wine?

Vietnam

What to know about Vietnam's Communist Party congress

HANOI: Vietnam's ruling Communist Party opens its twice-a-decade congress on Monday (Jan 19), finalising its leadership roster for the next five years and outlining plans for the fast-growing South-East Asian manufacturing hub.

Philippines

Death toll rises to 35 in Philippine dumpsite collapse

MANILA: More bodies were recovered from beneath heaps of garbage and twisted steel at the site of a collapsed facility in the central Philippine city of Cebu, bringing the death toll to 35, the city's Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Saturday (Jan 17), reported Xinhua.

Thailand

Why Thailand's deadly construction accidents are sparking outrage and scrutiny

BANGKOK: Thailand's construction industry is under intense scrutiny following a series of high-profile deadly accidents. These include a crane falling onto a moving passenger train this past week and the collapse of an office tower a year ago that killed nearly 100 workers.

Nation

Immigration smashes human trafficking syndicate following 'safe house' raid in Kelantan

PETALING JAYA: A human trafficking syndicate has been busted following a raid by the Immigration Department in Kelantan.

Indonesia

Debris believed to be missing ATR 42-500 found on Bulusaraung Hill - Makassar

JAKARTA: Large debris believed to be from a missing ATR 42-500 aircraft has been discovered on Bulusaraung Hill in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Sunday morning (Jan 18), near the area where the patrol aircraft was reported to have lost contact with air traffic control.

Singapore

LO or no? Singapore's Workers' Party faces tough trade-offs in decision over Leader of the Opposition role

SINGAPORE: Just hours after Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh was removed as Leader of the Opposition (LO), he was knocking on doors in his Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC.

Sabah & Sarawak

Lamag polls: BN candidate launches manifesto, outlining seven pledges

KINABATANGAN: Barisan Nasional (BN) tonight launched its manifesto for the Lamag state by-election, themed "Lamag Wajah Baharu", outlining seven pledges for voters in the constituency.

Nation

Port Dickson beach declared safe following isolated jellyfish incident

SEREMBAN: Port Dickson beach remains safe for visitors and water activities, despite an isolated incident three days ago in which a teenage girl was stung by a jellyfish.

Technology

Elon Musk's X limits Grok's sexually explicit AI image generation

X's chatbot Grok is getting restrictions on its ability to sexualise photos of people after weeks of international criticism and complaints that the software was digitally "undressing" women.

Asia & Oceania

A State of Trance to celebrate 25th anniversary with Vietnam debut

Ho Chi Minh City will be the only South-East Asian stop in the EDM festival's anniversary tour.

Nation

Kg Jalan Papan residents press DAP to deliver housing promises before GE16

KLANG: A group of residents from Kampung Papan turned up unannounced at the Selangor DAP convention to demand that promises made in the previous general election be fulfilled.

Nation

PLKN Pekan camp hits capacity: Trainees sent home can join next intake, skip selection process

PETALING JAYA: The National Service Training Department has apologised for the current intake at a camp in Pekan exceeding capacity, with trainees who were told to return home being able to join the next intake without the selection process.