World

Power outage halts Tokyo commuter train lines, disrupting thousands

TOKYO, ‌Jan 16 (Reuters) - A railway power outage ‌in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute ‌for thousands on Friday as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after ‍reports of a fire.

Entertainment

HK actress Teresa Cheung says she regrets marrying Kenny Bee too early in life

The 62-year-old says she 'trapped' herself by settling down so soon.

Nation

Umno flag hoisted to officiate general assembly

KUALA LUMPUR: Against a backdrop of red and white, Umno's general assembly officially began on Friday (Jan 16) with the ceremonial hoisting of the party's flag, Sang Saka Bangsa.

Forex

Ringgit slightly higher against US$ ahead of 4Q GDP estimates

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit rebounded to open slightly higher against the US dollar ahead of the release of Malaysia's advance fourth quarter of 2025 (4Q 2025) gross domestic product (GDP) estimates later today.

Economy

IMF's growth forecasts to show resilience to global trade shocks, Georgieva says

KYIV: The International Monetary Fund's latest economic forecasts due next week will show the global economy's continued resilience to trade shocks and "fairly strong" growth, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva told Reuters on Thursday.

Technology

White House says 25% semiconductor tariffs a 'phase one' action

WASHINGTON, Jan ‌15 (Reuters) - The U.S. ‌Commerce Department's 25% ‌national security tariff on certain high-end semiconductors announced ‍on Wednesday is ‍a "phase one" ‌action to protect the sector ‍and ​could be followed by ⁠other announcements pending negotiations with ‌other countries and companies, ⁠a ‍White House official said on Thursday.

Technology

AI hyperscalers will drive higher US corporate bond supply in 2026, analysts say

WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - U.S. corporate ‌bond issuance is expected to increase substantially in 2026, driven in part by AI hyperscaler companies' ‌build-out needs, analysts forecast.

Corporate News

Trading ideas: Binastra, Kerjaya Prospek, D&O, Dengkil, SkyGate, NexG, Vestland, Chin Hin, SC Estate Builder, ES Sunlogy, Infomina

KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.

STARPICKS

IWK’s biosolids fertiliser gets green light under Shariah law

NATIONAL sewerage company, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd continues to play a pivotal role in advancing Malaysia's sustainability agenda with the introduction of an innovative product derived from recycled sewage waste—organic fertilisers produced from biosolids.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Is there an animal that is 'solar powered'?

IN THE coral-rich waters off Japan, scientists have discovered a tiny creature that looks more like a cartoon character than an actual animal.

Technology

California approves Verizon acquisition of Frontier, clearing way for closing

Jan 15 (Reuters) - The California ‌Public Utilities Commission on Thursday approved Verizon Communications' $20 billion deal to acquire fiber-optic internet ‌providers Frontier Communications , clearing the way for the deal to close on Tuesday after ‌Verizon agreed to a series of conditions.

Technology

Blackstone could invest up to $4.65 billion for data center in Germany, Handelsblatt reports

Jan 15 (Reuters) - ‌Blackstone could invest ‌up to 4 billion ‌euros ($4.65 billion) for a data center in Lippetal, Germany, ‍Handelsblatt reported on ‍Thursday, citing ‌sources.

Technology

Publishers seek to join lawsuit against Google over AI training

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Publishers ‌Hachette Book Group and Cengage Group asked a California federal court ‌on Thursday for permission to intervene in a proposed class action ‌lawsuit against Google over the alleged misuse of copyrighted material used to train its artificial intelligence systems. 

Technology

Taiwan chip deal is worth a total of $500 billion, US Commerce Secretary Lutnick says

WASHINGTON, ‌Jan 15 (Reuters) - ‌Under the terms ‌of a new U.S. trade ‍deal with ‍Taiwan, ‌companies from Taiwan will ‍invest $250 ​billion ⁠and the island's government will ‌invest another $250 ⁠billion ‍to expand semiconductor ‍manufacturing in the ‌United States, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC on Thursday.

Technology

Netflix inks global deal to stream Sony Pictures' films after theatrical window

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Netflix and ‌Sony Pictures Entertainment have reached a new agreement that ‌would bring films such as "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" to ‌the streaming giant's customers worldwide after they play in cinemas, the companies said on Thursday.

Technology

Analysis-Musk dealt blow over Grok deepfakes, but regulatory fight far from over

STOCKHOLM/LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's Grok ‌chatbot is testing Europe's ability to clamp down on deepfakes and digital undressing of images online, even after regulators scored a rare win by forcing Musk's xAI ‌to curb the creation of sexualized images.

Markets

Wall St ends higher as banks gain on upbeat results

US stocks rose on Thursday after two days of declines as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs shares shot up following upbeat quarterly results, while Taiwan-based chipmaker TSMC's blockbuster results boosted shares of US chipmakers.

Commodities

Oil settles down as Trump comments ease Iranian supply concerns

Oil prices settled down around 4% on Thursday ending a five-day streak of gains after US President Donald Trump said the crackdown on protesters in Iran was easing, allaying concerns over potential military action against Iran and oil supply disruptions.

Focus

‘Is he dead? Is he not dead?’

ABDOUL Aziz Balde sobbed as he spoke of his son Idrissa, who left Guinea in search of a better life but has not been heard from since capsizing off the Moroccan coast.

STARPICKS

From player to creator

WHETHER it is the thrill of a last-minute victory in an online battle, the satisfaction of solving a puzzle or the awe of stepping into a vast open world, games are never just entertainment; they are lived experiences.