KUALA TERENGGANU: The body of a five-year-old boy feared drowned after being swept away by waves at Pantai Batu Rakit in Kuala Nerus on Friday was found at about 3am today. Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the body of Muhammad Zarif Hazahari was discovered by rescue teams about six kilometres from the scene of the incident. He said the body of the fifth of six siblings was later retrieved by rescuers with the assistance of local residents following a two-day search and rescue operation. "Therefore, the police advise the public to exercise caution and avoid approaching the sea or bodies of water during the ongoing Northeast Monsoon season,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Jan 11). Muhammad Zarif, who had gone for a walk with his aunt and two cousins, was reported missing after being swept away by waves while washing his feet at the beach in the 6.43pm incident.

Cervical cancer is the sixth most common among women in Malaysia and the fourth most common among women worldwide. January is observed globally as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, aimed at raising awareness about prevention, early detection and treatment. Their understanding of the benefits of HPV vaccination directly influences vaccine acceptance and uptake, the ministry said. “HPV vaccination protects against the human papillomavirus, which is the primary cause of cervical cancer – a disease that remains a significant public health concern,” it said. Due to these reasons and others, many girls did not receive the HPV vaccination,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said they will maintain their policy of not cutting players’ prize money, despite efforts to sustain their finances. Zafrul also sought to clarify public perception, emphasising that players keep 100 per cent of their tournament winnings, with no deductions or commissions taken by BAM. “Not a single cent of prize money goes into BAM’s account. At the same time, apart from discussions on reviewing local coaches’ salaries, BAM are also considering increasing allowances for their junior players. “As you know, this may not be sufficient, so we plan to raise it to RM1,000 per month for all current players,” Zafrul said.

Funding will go towards upgrades, maintenanceGOMBAK: Zoo Negara received a welcome boost when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an additional RM5mil allocation to upgrade facilities and support operations. This year, I have approved another RM5mil for operations and maintenance,” he said at a press conference yesterday. The government had previously channelled about RM5mil to Zoo Negara ahead of the arrival of giant pandas Chen Xing and Xiao Yue on Nov 18 last year. Panda appeal: Anwar (second from left) with (from left) Zoo Negara deputy president Datuk Rosly Lana, Kurup, Syed Ibrahim and Amirudin at the Zoo Negara Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Also present were Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup, his deputy Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry secretary-general Datuk Shaharuddin Abu Sohot and China’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.

The 'Ghost Train' earned its spectral name due to its sudden appearance out of the thick fog, offering a fleeting glimpse before disappearing down the tracks. The KTMB service is an essential lifeline that has transformed their commute from remote areas, such as Kuala Gris, Bukit Abu and Ulu Temiang, making it organised, safe and reliable. For Form One student Nur Adriana Amani Mohd Zulkifli, 13, the train journey to school enriches her daily routine. Another student, Muhammad Mifzal Azfar Abdul Hafiz, 16, said that although he must wake up earlier than before, the morning train journey offers a pleasant experience. A Bernama survey observed parents standing on the platform, watching their children with visible relief as KTMB staff assisted the students to board the train.

Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the state saw a sharp increase in bullying cases with 43 cases reported last year, up by 330 per cent compared to 10 in 2024. ALOR STAR: Kedah saw a sharp increase in bullying cases with 43 cases reported last year, up by 330 per cent compared to 10 in 2024. Also present was Kedah Education director Abdul Rahim Mat. Besides bullying, Adzli also revealed worrying statistics involving rape cases among school students, with 90 cases recorded in Kedah in 2025. Of these, 78 cases involved secondary school students, while 12 involved primary school pupils.

“The Kuala Langat area is home to many Malay residents, and to this day, problems linked to pig farming in the area have not been fully resolved since 2010. “His Royal Highness has personally experienced and witnessed firsthand the effects of odour pollution stemming from pig farming activities in the area. Sultan Sharafuddin rejected the proposal to use Kuala Langat as a temporary site, saying it would worsen pollution problems that have persisted for 16 years. Touching on the financial aspect, the Sultan referred to previous state initiatives to study modern pig farming techniques abroad. Sultan Sharafuddin asserted that economic development must not sacrifice the people’s well-being, environmental sustainability, or the harmony of Selangor’s multiracial society.

He noted that UPSR and PT3 previously served as national benchmarks to monitor students’ mastery of basic literacy, numeracy and academic readiness. He added that if reintroduced, UPSR and PT3 should combine summative assessment for system monitoring with formative assessment to support continuous student development. "At the primary school level, UPSR served as a checkpoint to assess children’s learning outcomes. UPSR and PT3 aim to measure each student’s ability according to their level or potential,” he said. On Friday (Jan 9), Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry has activated the National Education Advisory Council to study the need to revive UPSR and PT3.

Families who had come for a casual outing yesterday suddenly found themselves witnessing a milestone moment, with the long-awaited panda enclosure finally welcoming the public. We came to visit the zoo and then realised that the Prime Minister was here. Then we learnt that the Panda Centre had been opened to the public,” he said. Rousing welcome: Xiao Yue, the female giant panda, and Chen Xing (below) are seen during the introduction ceremony at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Zoo Negara. According to personnel at the centre, visits to the panda enclosure are carefully managed, with only 50 visitors allowed every 10 minutes.

(Jan 11): Voters in war-torn Myanmar queued up on Sunday to cast their ballots in the second stage of a military-run election, following low turnout in the initial round of polls that have been widely criticised as a tool to formalise junta rule. Transition promisedThe junta has said the election will bring political stability and a better future for the country, which is facing one of the most serious humanitarian crises in Asia. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing last month sidestepped a question from a reporter about his political ambitions. He hailed the election as a success during a visit last week to central Myanmar township, where he urged authorities to work to further boost turnout. "In phase one of the election, a large number of votes were cast, showing that the people have a strong desire to participate in the democratic process," state media quoted him as saying.

JOHOR BAHRU (Jan 11): The eGate system at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) experienced a technical glitch affecting only foreign passport holders, the BSI Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said. However, foreign travellers were directed to entry bus halls 19-22 and exit bus halls 5-8 for assistance. To ease congestion, foreign visitors were advised to use the MyNIISe app for QR counters or manual counters. AKPS also urged travellers to follow displayed instructions and give way to those in need. At least 39 entry and 29 exit autogates in the bus halls have been malfunctioning for several days, with heavy weekend traffic today causing the system to fail.

MINNEAPOLIS (Jan 11): Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Saturday to decry the fatal shooting of a woman by a US immigration agent, part of more than 1,000 rallies planned nationwide this weekend against the federal government's deportation drive. Minnesota officials have called the shooting unjustified, pointing to bystander video they say showed Good's vehicle turning away from the agent as he fired. Using language similar to its description of the Minneapolis incident, DHS said the driver had tried to "weaponise" his vehicle and run over agents. Federal law prohibits DHS from blocking members of Congress from entering ICE detention sites, but DHS has increasingly restricted such oversight visits, prompting confrontations with Democratic lawmakers. She said DHS policies require members of Congress to notify ICE at least seven days in advance of facility visits.

(Jan 11): Elon Musk said on Saturday that social media platform X will open to the public its new algorithm, including all code for organic and advertising post recommendations, in seven days. "This will be repeated every 4 weeks, with comprehensive developer notes, to help you understand what changed," he said in his X post. Last month, the European Union levied a €120 million (US$140 million or RM573 million) fine on X, with regulators saying the company breached its transparency obligations under the bloc's Digital Services Act. The fine is related to X's "blue checkmark" subscription, lack of transparency related to its ad repository and failure to provide researchers access to the platform's public data. Musk replied with an obscenity under a European Commission post about the fine.

China's so-called 'AI tiger' start-ups MiniMax and Zhipu AI had strong debuts on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this week, reflecting growing confidence in the sector as Beijing fast-tracks AI and chip listings to bolster domestic alternatives to advanced US technology. The main bottlenecks are production capacity, including lithography machines, and the software ecosystem," Yao said at an AI conference in Beijing. China has completed a working prototype of an extreme-ultraviolet lithography machine potentially capable of producing cutting-edge semiconductor chips that rival the West's, Reuters reported last month. Lin said China's limited resources have spurred its researchers to be innovative, particularly through algorithm-hardware co-design, which enables AI firms to run large models on smaller, inexpensive hardware. Tang Jie, founder of Zhipu AI which raised HK$4.35 billion (RM2.3 billion) in its IPO, also highlighted the willingness of younger Chinese AI entrepreneurs to embrace high-risk ventures — a trait traditionally associated with Silicon Valley — as a positive development.

(Jan 11): Elon Musk accused the UK government of being “fascist” after it stepped up threats to block X over sexualized images of women and children produced by his artificial intelligence tool Grok. The UK watchdog responsible for flagging online child sexual-abuse material to law enforcement agencies said it had found “criminal” images on the dark web allegedly generated by Grok. The dark web images depict “sexualised and topless” images of girls between the ages of 11 and 13 and meet the bar for action by law enforcement, the Internet Watch Foundation said. xAI operates Grok and the social media platform X.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed action earlier this week, demanding Musk’s X urgently “get their act together” over the sexualised images. “And in fact, we’ve been in touch again, today, about this very serious issue.”