Nation

Tengku Permaisuri Selangor graces opening of 'Majlis Puisi Dirgahayu Tuanku'

SHAH ALAM: Tengku Permaisuri Selangor, Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin graced the opening of the "Majlis Puisi Dirgahayu Tuanku" poetry recital, organised by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) through the Institution of Malay Rulers Chair and UiTM Office for the Empowerment of the Nobility on Thursday (Jan 8).

Nation

Turkiye visit has strengthened bilateral, economic ties, says Anwar

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says his official visit to Turkiye has strengthened and further enhanced bilateral relations and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Football

Soccer-Spurs forward Kudus out until April due to thigh injury

Jan 8 (Reuters) - ‌Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed Kudus ‌will be out until April with ‌a quad injury he suffered during Sunday's draw with Sunderland, manager Thomas Frank said ‍on Thursday.

World

One dead in floods in Albania as rain and snow grip Balkans

FIER, Albania, Jan 8 (Reuters) - ‌A man was found drowned on Thursday in the Albanian ‌city of Durres and emergency teams worked around the clock ‌to evacuate dozens of people from flooded houses hit by heavy rainfall.

Nation

Anwar receives courtesy call from ex-Gunners star Ozil, Erdogan's son in Istanbul

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday (Jan 8) received a courtesy call from former renowned international footballer Mesut Ozil and Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan, the son of the Turkish President, on the final day of his official visit to Turkiye.

World

Russia frees French researcher Vinatier in prisoner exchange

MOSCOW/PARIS, ‌Jan 8 (Reuters) - Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher serving a three-year prison sentence in Russia for violating Moscow's foreign ‌agent laws, has been freed as part of a prisoner exchange, French and Russian officials said on Thursday.

Brunei

‘Prosecutors vital in upholding justice’

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Prosecutors play a central role in upholding justice, said Attorney General and Public Prosecutor Datin Seri Paduka Nor Hashimah Muhammed Taib.

Technology

France's armed forces ministry awards Mistral AI framework agreement

Jan ‌8 - France's Ministry of the Armed ‌Forces has awarded a framework agreement to ‌artificial intelligence company Mistral AI, it said on Thursday.

AseanPlus News

Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Thursday (Jan 8, 2026)

Here's a look at the news highlights from Asean countries in the Star-AseanPlus section for Thursday (Jan 8, 2026)

Nation

Malaysia, Turkiye aim for synergy in defence, energy, high-tech industries, says Anwar

ISTANBUL: Malaysia and Turkiye have agreed to strengthen cooperation in strategic industries by leveraging their respective strengths in the defence, energy and high-technology sectors, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

World

Trump withdrawal from bedrock UN climate treaty raises legal questions

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Trump administration's decision to withdraw ‌the United States from the foundational U.N. climate treaty, which the U.S. Senate unanimously adopted more than 30 years ago, may be illegal, according to some legal experts ‌who say that Congress would need to approve its exit.

Nation

Driver loses control of lorry, crashes into seven cars in Puchong

PETALING JAYA: A lorry driver lost control of his vehicle before it collided with seven other vehicles along Jalan Puteri 2/1, Bandar Puteri, Puchong on Thursday (Jan 8).

Other Sports

Rallying-Guthrie wins Dakar stage five, Lategan stays top

Jan 8 (Reuters) - Toyota's Henk Lategan ‌retained the overall lead in the Dakar Rally on Thursday after American Mitch ‌Guthrie Jr led a fifth stage one-two-three for Ford in the Saudi Arabian ‌desert.

Football

Soccer-Morocco coach fights off critics as tournament tension mounts

RABAT, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Morocco coach ‌Walid Regragui defended his team's approach on Thursday as criticism mounts ‌ahead of Friday's Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final clash against Cameroon, with ‌the host nation seeking to justify their pre-tournament favourites tag.

World

Mexico murder rate down 40% under Sheinbaum, president says

Jan ‌8 (Reuters) - Mexico's daily ‌murder rate has ‌fallen nearly 40% from where it was ‍when Mexican President ‍Claudia Sheinbaum ‌took office, government officials ‍said ​on Thursday.

Entertainment

Former Miss HK Toby Chan moves from mansion to flat after split from tycoon

The mansion reportedly cost RM52K a month while the flat was purchased in 2020 for some RM4.6mil.

Nation

NFA in Zahid's case AG's call, says Home Minister

BANDAR BAHARU: The decision of no further action (NFA) on the 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds linked to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi falls fully under the authority of the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC), says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail

World

Zelenskiy says US security guarantees document set to be finalised with Trump

KYIV, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr ‌Zelenskiy said on Thursday the text of a bilateral security guarantee between Kyiv and Washington ‌was "essentially ready" to be finalised with U.S. President Donald Trump.

World

Russian-bound tanker hit by drone in Black Sea, maritime sources say

ISTANBUL, Jan 8 (Reuters) - A Russia-bound oil tanker suffered a drone attack ‌in the Black Sea that prompted it to request Turkish coastguard assistance ‌and divert from its course, according to a notice by Lloyd's List Intelligence and a separate maritime security source on Thursday.

South Korea

South Korea’s Defence Ministry punishes generals tied to Dec 3 martial law incident

SEOUL: South Korea's Defence Ministry said on Monday (Jan 5) that it has imposed disciplinary measures on four army lieutenant-generals and one army colonel over their alleged involvement in former president Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on Dec 3, 2024.