Nation

UPSR, PT3 exam review expected to be completed this year, says Fadhlina

PUTRAJAYA: The review on the need to reinstate Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) examinations is expected to be completed this year, says Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

Laos

Travel industry insiders name Laos among top destinations to watch in 2026

VIENTIANE: Laos has been named among the world's top travel destinations for 2026 by travel advisors and industry insiders, highlighting the country's growing appeal among discerning travellers seeking authentic, high-value experiences.

South Korea

Korean food wasn’t always this spicy. The rise of heat explained

SEOUL: When stress hits at work, Kang Hye-mee's discipline collapses.

Cricket

Cricket-India-origin Bajwa to lead Canada in T20 World Cup

Jan 15 (Reuters) - India-born Dilpreet ‌Bajwa will lead Canada at the Twenty20 World ‌Cup next month, the country's cricket board said ‌on Wednesday as it announced a 15-member squad for the competition. 

Sabah & Sarawak

Sarawak to build new govt quarters, starting with rural areas, says Premier

GEDONG: The Sarawak government is building new quarters throughout the state for the use of both state and federal civil servants.

AI

DeepSeek stays mum on next AI model release as technical papers show frontier innovation

Hangzhou-based start-up's technical papers bode well for potential advances in its next major AI models.

China

China, Canada move to reset ties as Carney visits

BEIJING: China is willing to deepen cooperation with Canada while eliminating "interference", Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart at a meeting in Beijing on Thursday (Jan 15).

Sabah & Sarawak

Local party sentiment still dominant among Kinabatangan voters, says Warisan candidate

KINABATANGAN: Support for Sabah-based political parties remains strong among Kinabatangan voters, said Warisan parliamentary candidate Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman.

Nation

‘An extremely emotional day for me’, says KJ on Umno general assembly attendance

KUALA LUMPUR: Emotional - that was how former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin described his return to the Umno annual general assembly after a two-year hiatus.

AseanPlus News

Two court officers stabbed in Tokyo apartment during visit to carry out forced eviction

TOKYO: Two court officers were stabbed with a knife by a man believed to be the resident in an apartment room on the second floor in Suginami Ward, Tokyo, at around 10am on Thursday (Jan 15)

Comment

Why comparing Malaysian Chinese to Palestinians is misguided

WHEN press conferences are held, reporters will field all kinds of questions, ranging from the pertinent to the off-topic, and from questions to opinions.

Corporate News

TSMC fourth-quarter profit leaps to record driven by AI boom

TAIPEI: TSMC, the world's main producer of advanced AI chips and a major supplier to Nvidia, on Thursday posted a 35% jump in fourth-quarter profit to record levels that handily beat market forecasts on Thursday.

Sabah & Sarawak

153 clinics in Sarawak equipped with cloud-based management system

GEDONG: Sarawak will work with the federal Health Ministry to provide healthcare facilities in the state, including allocating funds where necessary, says Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg.

Nation

Govt orders crackdown on misuse of social visit visas

PUTRAJAYA: The government has directed the relevant agencies to take firm enforcement action against the misuse of social visit visas for illegal employment and business activities, says Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Steven Sim.

Entertainment

Japanese PM and South Korean President jam to K-pop hits at summit

They sat side by side and drummed to hits such as BTS' Dynamite and KPop Demon Hunters' Golden.

Markets

Bursa Malaysia slips as profit-taking hits heavyweight counters, KLCI down 0.33%

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia ended the morning session in negative territory, weighed down by continued profit-taking in most heavyweight counters.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Did an almost-accident at a JB petrol station turn into a violent assault?

A video has gone viral showing a motorcyclist assaulting a driver with a wooden stick after his car nearly hits him. Did the incident happen at a Johor Baru petrol station as claimed?

Technology

Microsoft in record deal for soil carbon credits as data centres surge

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Microsoft has agreed ‌with Indigo Carbon to buy a record 2.85 million soil carbon credits linked to regenerative ‌agriculture in the United States, as the tech giant aims to become "carbon negative" by ‌2030 despite surging emissions linked to AI.

Nation

Akmal resigns as Melaka Umno exco member effective next week

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has resigned from his post a Melaka executive council member.

World

Exclusive-IMF chief Georgieva arrives in Kyiv for first visit since 2023

KYIV, Jan 15 (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund ‌chief Kristalina Georgieva arrived in Kyiv early on Thursday for high-level talks, two sources familiar with the matter said, ‌as Ukraine prepares to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24.