(Jan 22): Vaccine tycoon Adar Poonawalla said he will bid for Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2025 champion cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). “Over the next few months, will be putting in a strong and competitive bid” for RCB, which is “one of the best teams in the IPL,” Poonawalla said in a post on X on Thursday. The team is one of the most valuable franchises in the 20-over format of the game. The team’s biggest star remains Virat Kohli, the former all-format captain of the Indian cricket team, who has one of the largest social media followings in the world for an athlete. Spokespersons for RCB, Diageo, Advent, Temasek and Blackstone declined to comment to Mint’s request for comment, while PAG and Carlyle did not respond to the newspaper’s queries.

WASHINGTON (Jan 22): US consumer spending increased solidly in November and October, likely keeping the economy on track for a third straight quarter of strong growth. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity, rose 0.5% after rising by the same margin in October, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast consumer spending increasing 0.5% in November. The economy is being mostly driven by consumer spending and a shrinking trade deficit as President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs curb imports. The government was unable to collect most of the data to compile the Consumer Price Index report for October.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has recorded a significant reduction in its maternal mortality ratio since the 1970s, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said data from the Statistics Department showed that in 2024, there were 25 deaths involving mothers and 6.7 deaths involving infants. This is a sharp decrease from the 1970s, which saw between 70 to 140 maternal deaths and 41.4 infant deaths. However, Dr Dzulkefly noted that the country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has continued to decline, dropping from 1.7 children per woman in 2023 to 1.6 in 2024. To address this, the Health Ministry is utilising the "Safe Motherhood Initiative" (SMI).

"At that particular time, I thought it was a Saudi donation,” said Najib. Kwan: The truth in your mind – if I can use those words – at this moment, is that the RM42mil has nothing to do with the Saudi donation? Earlier, Kwan asked Najib to acknowledge that his "Saudi donation" defence had been comprehensively dismissed by the courts in the related criminal proceedings. Kwan: Your defence (Saudi donation) was rejected by all levels of the courts (in the SRC International criminal case). Kwan: All said and done, the majority finding upheld the conclusion (that the funds were not a Saudi donation).

MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s (pic) health condition remains stable but he is currently under medical observation after experiencing discomfort on Wednesday (Jan 21) night, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported, citing the presidential office, Malacañang. "The President spent the night under medical observation as a precautionary measure after experiencing discomfort. Castro said she is not privy to the specific discomfort experienced by the President. Despite being under medical observation, Marcos continues to carry out his responsibilities, she added. Castro assured the public that there is no cause for alarm, noting that the President remains capable of performing his duties.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s trade with Asean saw an increase of 6.1% in 2024 compared to the previous year, surpassing RM765.03bil, the Dewan Rakyat was told. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said this amount accounted for 29% of Malaysia’s total trade for that year, which stood at RM2.879tril. Johari was responding to Tan Kok Wai (PH-Cheras), who asked about the comparison of Malaysia’s trade with Asean and non-Asean nations. According to Johari, Malaysia’s trade structure remained heavily focused on Asean countries, which continue to be the nation’s largest export destination. Despite 98.6% of tariffs being eliminated among member states, Johari said intra-Asean trade still hovered around 21% to 22% of the region's total trade.

KUALA LUMPUR: Professional men’s doubles player Ong Yew Sin has been advised to lodge a police report for the authorities to investigate recent online threats against him. Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said the threats constitute a criminal offence. "Yew Sin needs to file a report so that investigations can be conducted and appropriate action taken," he said here on Thursday (Jan 22). ALSO READ: Yew Sin latest victim in growing cyberbullying problem"In my view, any issues of this nature should be reported to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), not just by athletes but by all citizens. Earlier, mixed doubles player Toh Ee Wei was subjected to online abuse and cyberbullying after inconsistent performances at last week’s Indian Open.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Sentral REIT’s (KL:SENTRAL) manager Sentral REIT Management Sdn Bhd has appointed Tay Hui Ling as acting CEO effective Jan 22, with her appointment to be formalised once Securities Commission approves it, according to a bourse filing on Thursday. Her predecessor, vice-chairman of the Malaysian REIT Managers Association Teh Wan Wei, stepped down as Sentral REIT’s CEO in September last year. “Her responsibilities included portfolio strategy, asset and liquidity management, fund structuring, capital raising, acquisitions and divestments, and investor relations,” Sentral REIT said. Sentral REIT manages prime office and commercial buildings in Klang Valley and Penang. Units in Sentral REIT ended unchanged at 80 sen, valuing it at RM956.4 million.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Fertility care company Alpha IVF Group Bhd (KL:ALPHA) has reported a 20.5% decline in second-quarter earnings despite higher revenue, as pre-operational costs tied to its ongoing expansion weighed on profitability. Alpha IVF continued to pursue aggressive growth, expanding its network of full-fledged IVF centres to six following the opening of new facilities in Kota Kinabalu, and Manila in the Philippines. In parallel, Alpha IVF commenced operations at a new satellite clinic in Medan, Indonesia, complementing its existing clinics in Jakarta and Surabaya. This represents a payout ratio of 89.1% for the first half of FY2026, with Alpha IVF reaffirming its commitment to a full-year dividend policy of 60%. Alpha IVF managing director Datuk Dr Colin Lee Soon Soo said that while earnings were temporarily impacted by expansion-related investments, these initiatives were vital for building a scalable regional platform.

PETALING JAYA: With the ageing population increasing in the country, so are hip fractures caused by falls. ALSO READ:Singapore is expected to see the second-largest increase in hip fractures, rising 3.53-fold from 4,477 to 15,806, followed by Hong Kong (2.86-fold) and South Korea (2.85-fold). “The main target in Asia is to reduce the annual incidence of hip fracture by 2% to 3% each year to stabilise the total number of hip fractures over time. The study said Malaysians who sustained hip fractures shared similar characteristics with those reported internationally – they were older, medically com­­­plex and at a high risk of falling. “The average age of hip fracture patients in Malaysia ranges from 74 to 79 years, and up to three-quarters are women.

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 248,000 former residents at Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres (Puspen) have received job offers since 2020, following efforts to help them reintegrate into society, the Dewan Rakyat was told. The Home Ministry said the National Anti-Drug Agency also conducts pre-placement programmes in efforts to prepare residents for the job market. The ministry said there are also follow up programmes for former Puspen residents to assist them in finding jobs post-treatment. According to the ministry, 3,143 clients successfully obtained certification between 2020 to 2025, with as many as 1,040 clients targeted to join the programme this year. "Our initiatives aim to ensure former Puspen clients remain independent, productive and once again accepted by society," it said.

MALAYSIA IS set to introduce new designs for its passports and MyKad this year, following an announcement by the Home Minister earlier this month. But have the designs for the new MyKad and passport really been leaked? Verdict:FALSEA viral post on TikTok claimed to display images of the new 2026 passport and MyKad designs, according to fact-checking website MyCheck.my. "The new passport and MyKad designs going viral on social media are not official images and were not issued by the Home Ministry," the statement read. "The visual design is not authentic and does not represent the actual design of the new passport or MyKad as claimed," it added.

KUALA LUMPUR: An average of 3,169 new HIV cases were recorded annually between 2018 to 2025, the Dewan Rakyat was told. The Health Ministry said that while there was a 50% drop in cases between 2000 to 2009, a gradual 32% increase was recorded from 2010 to 2025. According to the ministry, some 3,293 cases were recorded in 2018 followed by 3,564 in 2019, 3,146 in 2020, 2,760 in 2021, 3,177 in 2022, 3,220 in 2023, 3,185 in 2024 and 3,004 preliminary cases in 2025. "Between 2021 to 2025, up to RM223mil was spent for 25 antiretroviral medication at Health Ministry healthcare facilities," it said in a written reply on Thursday (Jan 22). The ministry was responding to a question by Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff of Perikatan Nasional, who asked about the number of HIV patients between 2018 to 2026 and the estimated cost spent for HIV treatment.

KOTA BHARU (Jan 22): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has remanded six company owners found to be involved in the smuggling of electronic waste (e-waste) into the country and frozen 14 accounts amounting to RM7.2 million. MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the commission is in the process of detaining two more company owners suspected of involvement in the same offence, with arrests expected to be made soon. “So far, seven companies operating in Selangor have been identified as masterminding the entry of e-waste into the country. Two more company owners are currently being tracked for further action. The MACC will calculate the profits obtained by the companies involved based on the duration of the activities for follow-up action,” he said.

JAKARTA (Jan 22): Indonesia's energy ministry was not consulted before President Prabowo Subianto decided to revoke the permit of a China-backed hydroelectric power plant on the island of Sumatra, an official at the ministry, Eniya Listiani Dewi, said on Thursday. The government said on Tuesday that it had revoked the permits of 28 firms accused of environmental breaches that worsened last year's deadly floods in Sumatra. The firms include PT North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE), which runs the Batangtoru hydropower facility. The company is controlled by China's state-run SDIC Power Holdings Co Ltd.Eniya Listiani Dewi told reporters that she hadn't been informed why the permit for the plant had been cancelled, or what kind of permit it was. The energy ministry is part of the forestry task force and must have been involved in the decision making process, the task force's spokesperson Barita Simanjuntak told Reuters on Thursday.