Indonesia

China praises Indonesia on first ever panda cub’s birth

JAKARTA: Chinese Ambassador to Jakarta Wang Lutong has praised and congratulated Indonesia on the birth of the first panda cub in Indonesia at the Indonesia Safari Park (TSI) in Cisarua, Bogor regency, West Java, highlighting the two countries' close bilateral cooperation in natural resources conservation.

Sabah & Sarawak

MMEA records 273 cases, RM48.5mil seized in year-long maritime crackdown

KOTA KINABALU: Smuggled drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and controlled goods, as well as the detention of Vietnamese fishing vessels, were among the largest seizures made by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in integrated operations throughout 2025.

AseanPlus News

‘Hold on tight’: China woman wins 22 pig-catching contests, with biggest hog weighing 73kg

31-year-old who excelled at tug of war, shot-put in her youth is top exponent of pinning down swine; says technique relies on speed

China

Ex-delivery driver gives voice to China's precarious gig workers

CHENGDU, China: A few years ago, Hu Anyan was speeding through the streets of Beijing on a three-wheel motorbike loaded with packages, one of millions of delivery drivers working for China's online retail giants.

Nation

Nine foreign men remanded over online part-time job scam

SEREMBAN: Nine foreign men have been remanded for four days until Sunday (Jan 11) to aid investigations into an online part-time job scam.

AseanPlus News

Three people missing as bushfires destroy homes in Australia's south-east

SYDNEY: Three people are unaccounted for as out-of-control bushfires rage in the Australian state of Victoria, destroying homes and burning through vast swathes of bushland, authorities said on Friday (Jan 9).

Sabah & Sarawak

Floods: Over 400 evacuated in Sarawak

KUCHING: Over 400 flood victims have been moved to temporary relief centres after heavy rain overnight in parts of Sarawak.

Sabah & Sarawak

Floods: Man drowns after 4WD swept away in Tawau

KOTA KINABALU: A man drowned while three others managed to save themselves when flood waters washed away their four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle in Tawau district.

Japan

Japan calls for 'smooth' trade after reports of China snags

Japan said Friday (Jan 9) that international trade should be "smooth" after media reports said China was delaying Japanese imports as well as rare-earth exports to Tokyo, as their two-month-old spat escalates.

Nation

Gou Li Hao Xi 2.0 returns, expanding its cast and emotional reach

KUALA LUMPUR: In an era defined by speed, pressure and emotional fatigue, how much power can a musical production truly hold when it reaches beyond the stage and into the inner world of its audience?

Laos

Lao Communist Party congress re-elects Thongloun for second term

VIENTIANE: The 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP) concluded on Thursday (Jan 8) in the Lao capital Vientiane, and Thongloun Sisoulith was elected general secretary of the 12th Central Committee of the LPRP at the 12th Central Committee's first meeting.

Comment

Japan, Taiwan, and the unraveling of the post-WWII order

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi's recent remarks on Taiwan are not merely controversial; they strike at the heart of the post–World War II international order in Asia. By challenging the One-China policy, her comments implicitly question one of the foundational outcomes of Japan's defeat in 1945 - that Taiwan, liberated from Japanese colonial rule, was returned to China.

Brunei

Brunei operation uncovers contraband in Tutong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A joint operation conducted by the Tutong Police District of Royal Brunei Police Force targeting a residence in Kampong Ukong, Tutong District discovered contraband of 69 cartons and 12 packets of cigarettes as well as a vape.

World

China AI firm MiniMax soars 50% in Hong Kong debut

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: Chinese artificial intelligence model developer MiniMax Group jumped 50% in its Hong Kong market debut on Friday after raising HK$4.8​bil ($620mil).

Badminton

Kento Momota announces marriage, keeps bride's identity under wraps

PETALING JAYA: Badminton great Kento Momota has shared happy news off the court after confirming that he has tied the knot.

Nation

Six claim trial to causing grievous hurt to trio outside PD food court

SEREMBAN: Six men, including three brothers, claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to charges of using machetes to cause grievous hurt to three individuals outside a food court in Port Dickson.

AI

Google adds new AI features to Gmail, turning it into a personal assistant

More artificial intelligence is being implanted into Gmail as Google tries to turn the world's most popular email service into a personal assistant that can improve writing, summarize far-flung information buried in inboxes and deliver daily to-do lists.

Myanmar

Earthquake in Myanmar felt in Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin and Sagaing

Residents of Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin and Sagaing clearly felt an earthquake that struck on the night of January 8, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH).

Nation

Ease up a bit, S'pore politician jokingly tells Anwar as ringgit strengthens

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been jokingly told to "lepak (chill) a bit" by a Singaporean politician following the strengthening of the ringgit against the Singapore dollar.

Nation

Kedah Raja Muda lauds man for alerting authorities on grandson's drug abuse

SUNGAI PETANI: The Raja Muda of Kedah Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Sultan Sallehuddin praised a grandfather from Kampung Sungai Pial, Merbok, near here, for reporting his grandson's involvement in drug abuse.