Thailand

Thai PM likens alleged 7,500-baht vote buying to ‘buffalo’ behaviour

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ridiculed speculation that vote-buying prices have surged to as much as 7,500 baht (US$240) per person, saying anyone who paid that much deserved "buffalo horns".

Nation

MCMC summons local daily's reps to give statement over error in translating King's speech

PETALING JAYA:Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has summoned representatives of Chinese language daily China Press following an alleged mistranslation of its online content.

Tennis

Tennis-Injury-hit Monfils bows out of final Australian Open with guns blazing

MELBOURNE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - ‌Tennis showman Gael Monfils bowed out of his 20th and ‌final Australian Open on Tuesday with a mix of pain and regret ‌as he fell to an injury-hampered 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 7-5 defeat in the first round to local qualifier Dane Sweeny.

World

Rescue workers clearing Karachi inferno ruins, 57 missing feared dead

KARACHI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Firefighters ‌were clearing the charred ruins of a Karachi mall on Tuesday as they tried to locate nearly 60 people still ‌missing and feared dead after a fire that burned for nearly two days and killed 27 people.

China

Leading quantum physicist You Chenglong joins cutting-edge Chinese research institute

The researcher is reported to have left the US to take up a position at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Thailand

Jailed former Thai PM Thaksin may be eligible for parole in May

BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pic), serving a one-year sentence in a Bangkok prison for corruption, may be eligible to be released on parole in May, raising the possibility that the influential politician may play a role in the country's politics again.

Nation

Respect me as Chair, retract your remarks, Deputy Speaker instructs backbencher

KUALA LUMPUR: Respect me as the Chair and retract when ordered to, Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Alice Lau instructed a government backbencher on Tuesday (Jan 20).

World

Russia jails U.S. citizen for five years after he carried rifle on yacht

MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) - A ‌Russian court sentenced a U.S. citizen to five years ‌in jail for crossing the border with a weapon ‌when he sailed from the United States to meet a Russian woman he met over the Internet, Russia's court service said.

AseanPlus News

China wife sues after discovering late husband’s affair, US$2.8 million transfer to mistress, and wins big

Shocked wife finds out about cash-giving philandering late hubby while going through his belongings; court orders lover to repay money

Commodities

Gold scales new high past US$4,700/oz as Trump threats fuel safe-haven demand

GOLD jumped past $4,700 per ounce for the first time on Tuesday, while silver traded near a record high, as U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to slap extra tariffs on European allies soured global sentiment and sparked a rush into safe-haven assets.

Environment

Ecowatch: A breath of fresh air in renewable energy

The numbers are looking good for wind, solar and other clean energy sources around the world.

Thailand

Magnitude 4.5 earthquakes strike near Nyaungdon and Yangon

YANGON: According to a statement released by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, an earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck at 1:26:31am on Jan 20, with its epicentre located about 11 miles northeast of Nyaungdon Township in the Ayeyarwady Region.

Nation

No signs of financial misappropriation in LPQB despite no audits for 18 years, Dewan Rakyar told

KUALA LUMPUR: There are no signs of financial misappropriation or abuse of powers in the Legal Profession Qualifying Board's (LPQB) finances despite its accounts not audited for 18 years, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Tuesday (Jan 20).

Pakistan

Karachi mall fire death toll rises to 23 as rescuers search for dozens missing

KARACHI: The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi rose to 23 on Monday (Jan 19) as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens remain missing.

Nation

Zahid lauds return of primary- and secondary-level national assessments

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has lauded the implementation of the Malaysian Learning Matrix test for Year Four and Form Three students.

Entertainment

‘Squid Game’ creator Hwang Dong-hyuk unveils new K-drama about casino crimes

'The Dealer' tells the story of Gun-hwa, a skilled casino dealer whose wedding preparations fall apart after falling victim to a fraud scheme.

AseanPlus News

Blast kills seven at Chinese-run restaurant in Afghan capital

KABUL: Militant group Islamic State claimed an explosion that officials said killed a Chinese national and six Afghans, while injuring several more as it tore through a Chinese-run restaurant in a heavily guarded part of Afghanistan's capital.

Corporate News

EcoFirst appoints two new independent non-executive directors

KUALA LUMPUR: EcoFirst Consolidated Bhd has appointed Yip Kit Weng and Lee King Loon as independent non-executive directors, effective Jan 19, 2026.

Japan

People in Japan endure freezing temperatures to pray for health under waterfall

TOKYO: People prayed for good health while they stood under a waterfall at the foot of the Tateyama mountain range in Kamiichi, Toyama Prefecture, on Tuesday (Jan 19), the first day of Daikan, the coldest period of year.

Sabah & Sarawak

View Sabah’s 40% revenue entitlement as investment, says Warisan

KOTA KINABALU: The Prime Minister and federal government should view fulfilling Sabah's constitutional 40% entitlement as an investment, not a cost, said Parti Warisan.