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Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari poses with the national squash team, celebrating their haul of four gold and two silver medals after the men’s and women’s singles finals at the Thailand SEA Games 2025. — Bernama pic

Sports / 15 h ago

Malaysia breaks SEA Games medal tally record abroad with 221 medals in Bangkok

Christmas decorations are seen in a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Malaysia / 18 h ago

Halal vs holidays? Umno Youth chief questions Melaka ban on Christmas decor in certified outlets (VIDEO)

Seri Alam deputy police chief Superintendent G. Vikra Mathiththan Victor said the incident occurred at about 6pm on Wednesday. — Screengrab via Facebook/Alice Choong

Malaysia / 16 h ago

Johor police arrest teen Alphard driver after he allegedly rams motorcyclist, reverses into drain (VIDEO)

Without specifying any of lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s remarks, the AGC said the defence lawyer’s press statement yesterday was on issues that had already been brought up and argued at the High Court during Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial. — Picture by Devan Manuel

Malaysia / 19 h ago

Ahead of verdict next week, AGC says Najib’s fair trial claims made by lawyer in 1MDB case already argued in court

Pearly-Thinaah were stretched to the limit in the contest, battling for 81 minutes before eventually going down 15-21, 21-16, 19-21 to Yuki Fukushima–Mayu Matsumoto. — File pic via Bernama

Sports / 19 h ago

Pearly Tan-Thinaah secure semi-final spot despite Japanese pair win

This file picture taken on August 26 shows an aerial view of Google’s first data centre under construction at Elmina Business Park, Selangor. The hyperscale facility will cover 51 hectares and is scheduled for completion in early 2026. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 4 h ago

The tropical penalty: Operating data centres in Malaysia’s hotter, drier future

In delivering her grounds, Judicial Commissioner Arziah Apandi said allegations that Siti Kasim had obstructed a public servant or committed kidnapping were unsupported in law, noting that Section 186 of the Penal Code requires physical obstruction or criminal force — not mere verbal disagreement or refusal to comply. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

Malaysia / 19 h ago

High Court rules Siti Kasim’s 2018 arrest unlawful, govt to pay RM120,625 to her and RM53,750 to client

Ahmed al Ahmed, who tackled a gunman during the Bondi Beach shooting, was overwhelmed after receiving more than A$2.5 million in donations from supporters worldwide. — Picture via X

Life / 19 h ago

‘I deserve it?’: Australia’s ‘Bondi Hero’ overwhelmed by RM6.7m global outpouring

A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey approaches for landing at Mercedita International Airport amid ongoing military movements in Puerto Rico, December 18, 2025. — Reuters pic

World / 14 h ago

How Trump’s Venezuela embargo could put Taiwan at risk

Bursa Malaysia ended the week sharply higher, climbing to an almost 15-month high. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Money / 16 h ago

Bursa Malaysia hits 15‑month high as banking stocks lead rally

Negeri Sembilan Deputy Police Chief SAC Muhammad Idzam Jaafar said the man, in his early 50s, was detained around Genting Sempah, Pahang this afternoon. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Malaysia / 16 h ago

Police arrest second man in Rembau body-in-bag murder case

Letters from Japanese prisoner Takanori Kuzuoka, photographed in Tokyo on November 5, 2025, detail his life in organised crime. — AFP pic

Life / 14 h ago

The rise of ‘tokuryu’: Anonymous, online and ruthless gangs reshaping Japan’s underworld

Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed is currently facing five charges of criminal breach of trust involving more than RM458.5 million under Section 409 of the Penal Code. He is also charged with 10 counts of transferring proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to RM116.45 million, along with three additional money laundering charges involving RM22.8 million. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 19 h ago

Court grants Maju Holdings director Abu Sahid temporary passport release for UK trip despite pending charges

BookXcess founder Jacqueline Ng believes that reading should not be exclusive to the privileged. — Picture by Sayuti Zainduin

Life / 4 h ago

Beyond gadgets: Why physical books continue to captivate Malaysian readers

Malaysia celebrates first SEA Games diving gold, courtesy of Nur Eilisha Rania Muhammad Abrar Raj and Nurul Farisya Alia Affendi. — Reuters pic

Sports / 16 h ago

Perfect synchrony pays off as Nur Eilisha Rania and Nurul Farisya Alia win SEA Games diving gold

Headlines

Malaysia / 2 h ago

PM Anwar welcomes IMF nod, says focus now on jobs and rebuilding public confidence

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim welcomed the IMF’s positive assessment of Malaysia’s economy, saying the government remains focused on prudent management, job creation, and accelerating reforms.— Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assessment of Malaysia’s economic performance, emphasising that the government’s priority remains ensuring economic stability is managed responsibly.Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government will continue to ensure that economic...

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Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the National Tahfiz Education Policy (DPTN) 2.0 and the Malaysia Tahfiz Recognition Standard (SPTM) will strengthen protection for tahfiz students. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 1 h ago

DPM Zahid vows tighter tahfiz school policies to protect students after wave of abuse cases

The body of a woman was found inside a bag buried behind an unoccupied house in Kampung Batu 4, Pedas, Rembau, Negeri Sembilan yesterday. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 1 h ago

DNA tests underway to identify woman’s body found in bag behind Rembau house

Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Sazali Harun said users’ interests will be protected despite unchanged toll rates next year, with concessionaires monitored. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Malaysia / 38 m ago

Highway authority says service quality won’t drop as toll rates freeze next year

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said divorce should not be treated lightly, urging couples in crisis to seek Syariah-based professional help. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 1 h ago

Religious affairs minister: Divorce not a shortcut, couples should seek Syariah-based counselling first

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that the 140,030 figure reflected both the scale of mental health and social challenges faced by the public, as well as increasing awareness and willingness to seek professional help. — Bernama pic

Malaysia / 17 h ago

Nancy Shukri: One-stop social support centre has assisted over 142,000 Malaysians nationwide with emotional, psychosocial support

Judge Rohatul Akmar Abdullah handed down the sentence after ruling that the defence of the accused, P Stephen Nyanamuthu, 55, failed to raise any reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case. — Reuters pic

Malaysia / 18 h ago

Melaka lorry driver jailed nine years for sexually assaulting student, 13, in school van

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Singapore

Singapore has warned of longer waits at the Woodlands and Tuas land checkpoints during the December holiday rush, amid intensified checks on e-vaporiser smuggling. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Singapore / 1d ago

Holiday bottlenecks loom at Singapore–Malaysia land checkpoints with tighter e-vape checks, say authorities

The court heard that Krish Khalifa had made a total of nine posts across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok showing himself holding or using e-vaporisers in public places and at home. — Reuters pic

Singapore / 1d ago

Singapore’s first social media vaping conviction sees man fined RM44,000

Singapore police said the case marks the first time a motorist will be charged over driving under the influence of etomidate after a crash in the city centre. — TODAY file pic

Singapore / 2d ago

Singapore to charge motorist over etomidate driving in first case of its kind

Louis Vuitton is suing ValueMax Retail in Singapore’s High Court, alleging trademark infringement and passing off over jewellery sold at a pawnshop outlet. — Reuters file pic

Singapore / 1d ago

Louis Vuitton sues Singapore pawnshop over alleged trademark infringement

Ms Ng, who goes by mermaid.sg on TikTok and Instagram, deleted her social media accounts after the allegations surfaced. — Picture via X

Singapore / 1d ago

Singapore influencer Eunice Ng probed over alleged dog abuse

Jahalal Ali was jailed for 15 weeks after admitting to assault offences and setting a mattress on fire, with a further 49 days added for breaching a remission order tied to earlier crimes. — TODAY file pic

Singapore / 2d ago

Man jailed after assaults on 80-year-old and mattress fire at Singapore nursing home

File photo of a Singapore Police Coast Guard patrol, as authorities investigate and crack down on maritime smuggling routes used to bring foreigners into Singapore illegally. — AFP pic

Singapore / 2d ago

Paid to look the other way: Indonesian tugboat crew jailed, caned for role in smuggling foreigners into Singapore

A view of private residential apartments and public housing estates in Singapore June 13, 2016. The number of lower-income families receiving support under a key government financial aid scheme fell to its lowest level in five years in 2024. — Reuters pic

Singapore / 16 Dec 2025

Singapore families on key govt aid scheme fall to five-year low in 2024 as economy, job market strengthen

Opinion

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World

This photo illustration taken in Washington, DC, on December 19, 2025 shows photographs, including of former US president Bill Clinton, Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson and Ghislaine Maxwell, after the US Justice Department began releasing the long-awaited records from the investigation into the politically explosive case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. — AFP pic

World / 1 h ago

Epstein files released: Clinton appears in redacted trove, pages heavily blacked out

Displaced Palestinians stand next to destroyed houses in Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip on December 19, 2025. A famine declared in Gaza in August is now over thanks to improved access for humanitarian aid, the United Nations said on December 19, but warned the food situation in the Palestinian territory remained dire. — AFP pic

World / 1 h ago

UN says famine over in Gaza but warns ‘situation remains critical’ as food insecurity persists

This picture taken and released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on December 19, 2025 shows a smoke grenade after it was thrown at Taipei Main Station, in Taipei. Taiwan’s government raised security levels at major transportation stations after a man threw smoke grenades and attacked people in two busy metro stations, injuring at least eight people, officials said. —CNA/AFP pic

World / 1 h ago

Smoke bombs and stabbings kill three in Taipei metro, suspect confirmed dead

A screengrab from a video released by the Providence Police December 17, 2025, shows an individual they want to speak with who was in the proximity of the person of interest in connection with the shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. — Providence Police via Reuters

World / 23 h ago

Brown University shooting suspect found dead after twin attacks

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, speaks to the media outside the White House in Washington, DC, US, December 16, 2025. — Reuters pic

World / 4 h ago

Who will lead the US Federal Reserve next? What Trump’s picks say about the future of the country’s money and power

A Brown University student adjusts flowers at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a December 13 mass shooting at the Van Winkle Gates outside Brown’s college campus in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 15, 2025. — AFP pic

World / 1d ago

US police identify suspect in deadly Brown University campus shooting, reports say

A man reacts as he looks at the hearse after the funeral of Boris and Sofia Gurman, who were killed in the December 14 Bondi Beach shooting attack, at the Sydney Chevra Kadisha in Sydney on December 19, 2025. — AFP pic

World / 1d ago

Australia launches national firearm buyback after Bondi Beach attack

The bill, sponsored by right-wing firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, was approved by 216 votes to 211 and now heads to the Senate, where its fate is less certain. — Pexels.com pic

World / 1d ago

US House passes bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors

Money

Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package from Tesla, once worth US$56 billion, was restored by the Delaware Supreme Court yesterday, nearly two years after a lower court struck down the compensation deal as ‘unfathomable.’ — Reuters pic

Money / 59 m ago

Musk wins appeal as Delaware Supreme Court restores 2018 Tesla pay package worth US$139b

Bursa Malaysia ended the week sharply higher, climbing to an almost 15-month high. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Money / 16 h ago

Bursa Malaysia hits 15‑month high as banking stocks lead rally

The deal is a milestone for the short video app used regularly by more than 170 million Americans after years of battles that began in August 2020, when President Donald Trump first ‍tried unsuccessfully to ban the app. — Reuters file pic

Money / 23 h ago

ByteDance signs deal to save TikTok in the US

Mixue, which has over 53,000 locations globally, announced a 10-year storefront lease in New York City in September. — AFP pic

Money / 1d ago

Spill the tea, America — Chinese brands are coming to take on coffee culture

PNB said in a statement that the total payout amounts to RM10.4 billion, the highest annual distribution paid since ASB’s inception, benefiting 11.4 million ASB unitholders. — Picture by Azneal Ishak

Money / 21 h ago

PNB declares 5.75 sen ASB income distribution, RM10.4b payout for FY2025

The funding was extended to XSD International Paper Sdn Bhd (XSD), a manufacturer of coated duplex board paper and grey board in Malaysia, through the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm. ― AFP pic

Money / 21 h ago

World Bank backs Malaysia paper maker with US$70m for sustainable production

the co-development of MS Industrial Park @ Kulai, located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), will be undertaken via a JV structure, with Mah Sing and KLK Land holding 60 per cent and 40 per cent equity, respectively. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Money / 20 h ago

Mah Sing, KLK Land form JV to develop RM2.26b industrial park in Kulai

Japan became the latest market to force changes to Apple’s App Store business model. — Reuters pic

Money / 1d ago

Apple opens iPhones to alternative app stores in Japan under new competition law

Sports

The national equestrian polo team clinched the gold medal at the SEA Games Thailand 2025 after defeating Thailand 10-6.5 in the final of the 4-6 Goals event at the VS Sports Club & Siam Polo Park, Samut Prakan, yesterday. — Picture via Instagram/the.rmpa

Sports / 15 m ago

Malaysia ride past Thailand to clinch SEA Games equestrian polo 4-6 Goals gold

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Sports / 23 m ago

Malaysian track cycling trio power to SEA Games gold with record-breaking sprint

Malaysian men's doubles players Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik compete in the 2025 SEA Games badminton final at Gymnasium 4, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus in Bangkok December 14, 2025. — Bernama pic

Sports / 35 m ago

Malaysia’s Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun bow out of BWF World Tour Finals semi-finals race

Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari poses with the national squash team, celebrating their haul of four gold and two silver medals after the men’s and women’s singles finals at the Thailand SEA Games 2025. — Bernama pic

Sports / 15 h ago

Malaysia breaks SEA Games medal tally record abroad with 221 medals in Bangkok

People walk near the Rabat-Agdal train station decorated with Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 branding in Rabat, Morocco on December 14, 2025. — AFP pic

Sports / 1d ago

Festive fixtures meet Afcon fever: Premier League braces for a season of stars lost and title twists

The squad comprising Abdul Azim Aliyas, Muhammad Adam Hakimi Nazuan, Muhammad Hafiq Mohd Jafri, Muhammad Yusri Shaari and New Joe Lau defeated hosts Thailand. — Bernama pic

Sports / 1d ago

Golden ride: Malaysia hits 200 medal milestone with track cycling triumph at SEA Games

National archers (from left) Mohd Juwaidi Mazuki, Alang Ariff Aqil Muhammad Ghazalli and Muhammad Aiman Syafiq Mohd Tariki celebrate winning the gold medal after defeating the hosts 232–228 in the men’s compound team event at the 2025 SEA Games Thailand in Bangkok December 18, 2025. — Bernama pic

Sports / 1d ago

Wind, pressure, gold — Malaysia’s archers hit bullseye at SEA Games 2025

Syed Mohammad Syafiq Syed Cholan and Muhammad Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal both scored hat-tricks in Malaysia’s dominant victory. — Picture via Facebook/Malaysian Hockey Confederation

Sports / 1d ago

Malaysia crush Singapore 12-2 to storm into SEA Games men’s hockey final