Nation

Court of Appeal reduces damages in Altantuya lawsuit to RM1.38mil

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has reduced the quantum of damages awarded to the family of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu from RM5mil to RM1.4mil in a lawsuit against political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, two policemen and the Government.

North Korea

North Korea's Kim sacks senior official, slams 'incompetence'

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fired a senior official tasked with economic policy and condemned "incompetent" apparatchiks for delays in the opening of an important factory, state media said Tuesday (Jan 20).

South Korea

Seoul proposes mandating licence check for e-scooter rentals

SEOUL: The Seoul Metropolitan Government is moving to require electric scooter rental companies to verify users' driver's licences, tightening enforcement as unlicensed riding and youth-related accidents continue to surge.

Entertainment

'I do not want to reconcile with my family', says Brooklyn Peltz Beckham

LONDON: Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, son of the British celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham, said he did not want to reconcile with his parents after a family rift he described in a lengthy post on social media on Monday (Jan 19).

Nation

Five million to receive STR starting today, says PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Phase 1 of the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) for 2026 will be rolled out from Tuesday (Jan 20) to five million recipients, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Vietnam

Vietnam's Lam pledges growth above 10% despite global disruptions

HANOI: Vietnam's top leader To Lam pledged annual economic growth above 10 per cent for the remainder of the decade despite global disruptions as he addressed delegates at the Communist Party congress on Tuesday (Jan 20).

Climate

Hungary's 'water guardian' farmers fight back against desertification

A group of farmers and other volunteers, led by Nagyapáti, are trying to save the region and their lands from total desiccation using a resource for which Hungary is famous: thermal water.

The Doctor Says

Understanding GLP-1 drugs, those popular weight-loss medications

The class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists have become renowned for their effects in helping weight loss.

Video games

From one apartment, a window into generations

The Berlin Apartment, which owes a debt to What Remains of Edith Finch, lets you relive the challenges its many tenants faced.

World

Russian attack plunges Kyiv into cold, threatens nuclear-linked facilities

Jan 20 (Reuters) - A Russian air ‌attack on Ukraine cut heating to half of Kyiv and impacted substations carrying critical power from the country's atomic plants on Tuesday, prompting Kyiv ‌to warn that Moscow was using the risk of nuclear disaster as a tool of coercion.

World

Australia passes tougher laws on guns, hate crimes after Bondi shooting

SYDNEY, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Australia has enacted new laws ‌for a national gun buyback, tighter background checks for gun licences and a crackdown on hate crimes in response to the country's worst mass ‌shooting in decades at a Jewish festival last month.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Is Earth being hit by the largest solar storm in 20 years today?

THE SUN has been particularly active in recent days, releasing powerful bursts of energy into space.

Markets

US yields rise to multi-month highs on Trump's tariff threats

SINGAPORE: U.S. Treasury yields jumped to near multi-month highs on Tuesday as U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to rekindle a trade war with Europe rattled markets and shook investor confidence in American assets.

Corporate News

OMS Group inks deal with Ulstein for two next-generation cable-laying vessels

KUALA LUMPUR: OMS Group, a leading provider of subsea digital infrastructure, has signed contracts with advanced offshore vessel builder Ulstein for the design and construction of two cable-laying vessels.

Indonesia

Over 400 Indonesians 'released' by Cambodian scam networks: ambassador

PHNOM PENH: Cyberscam networks in Cambodia have freed more than 400 Indonesians this month, Jakarta said on Monday (Jan 19), after Phnom Penh announced a fresh crackdown on the illicit industry.

Internet

Meta overlooks ads from illegal gambling sites, says UK watchdog

Meta Platforms Inc is turning a blind eye to illegal gambling sites that advertise on Facebook and Instagram, according to the UK's Gambling Commission.

Forex

Ringgit firmer vs greenback on rising US-EU tensions

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit extended its gains to open firmer on Tuesday, tracking a weaker US Dollar Index (DXY) as tensions between the United States and the European Union intensified following renewed remarks by the administration of US President Donald Trump over Greenland.

Markets

FBM KLCI retreats to 1,700 support as profit-taking accelerates

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI fell 9.57 points to 1,702.76 at 9.20am, in light of the growing geopolitical tension and the absence of domestic catalysts to drive the index higher.

Philippines

Impeachment bid against Philippine President unlikely to succeed but could still hurt him, say analysts

MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (pic) is facing impeachment over allegations ranging from how the transfer of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was handled, to claims of kickbacks linked to flood-control projects.

Nation

Home Ministry pledges commitment to royal decree on national security

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry has pledged its full commitment to heed the royal decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia during the opening of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament.