Singapore's economy grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, preliminary government data showed on Friday. – AFP picSINGAPORE: Singapore's economy grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, preliminary government data showed on Friday. The ministry has previously forecast 2026 GDP growth at 1.0 per cent to 3.0 per cent. Singapore's exports to the United States are subject to a 10 per cent tariff. Broader sectoral tariffs could hurt demand for Singapore's exports, including semiconductors, consumer electronics and pharmaceutical goods.

KUALA TERENGGANU: A lawyer has been arrested for allegedly abetting an inmate to smuggle drugs into Marang prison. He said the suspect was believed to have abetted the smuggling of drugs into the prison on Dec 23 through a male inmate, who was also his client. Mohd Khairi said prison authorities recovered 123gm of Yaba pills, 21gm of cannabis and 13gm of Erimin 5, worth RM16,000, within two days after the inmate expelled the drugs. According to Mohd Khairi, the amount of drugs recovered was enough to supply some 800 addicts. Following that, he said the ­prison authorities lodged a police report at the Marang district police headquarters, and the case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Dubai Chambers president and chief executive officer Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah said the number of Malaysian companies there are growing with 318 companies registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce by the end of third quarter last year. Dubai Chambers have also organised high impact trade missions to Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines to further strengthen bilateral trade. The number of active members from Asean countries in the Dubai Chambers of Commerce also rose to 4,114 in 1H25 from 1,023 in 2020. DUBAI AS GLOBAL HUBBy the end of last year, Dubai Chamber of Commerce was supporting more than quarter of a million active members, with around 258,000 active members. "Dubai's digital economy is also continuing to grow rapidly, supported by our dedicated efforts to attract high-potential technology companies and entrepreneurs.

IPOH: A couple narrowly escaped death when their car burst into flames after a collision on the North-South Expressway near here. Perak Fire and Rescue Department acting deputy director of operations Shazlean Mohd Hanafiah said the crash at the northbound lane occurred at about 8.20am yesterday at the KM264.6 mark, shortly after the Ipoh toll plaza. He said the couple’s car collided with another car before bursting into flames. The other vehicle was towed away,” he said in a statement yesterday. A total of six firefighters and one light fire rescue tender were deployed in the operation.

IPOH: The Royal Belum State Park has remained a “hornbill capital” for the past decade, says the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia (Ecomy). Ecomy president and chief executive officer Andrew Sebastian explained that Royal Belum, known as one of the oldest rainforests in the world, is the only place where 10 hornbill species coexist. Nine hornbill species live in Royal Belum year-round, while plain-pouched hornbills are the sole migratory visitors. The 10 species in Royal Belum are the oriental pied hornbill, black hornbill, bushy crested hornbill, white-crowned hornbill, rhinoceros hornbill, great hornbill, plain-pouched hornbill, helmeted hornbill, wrinkled hornbill and wreathed hornbill. “This will entice poachers to target it as our birds in Royal Belum are doing fairly well.

Malaysian Education Concorde Organisation (Me’Didik) chairman Mohd Ridhwan Othman said many schools in Johor have long required students to wear neckties, with some institutions even being easily identified by their distinctive ties. “A necktie can help cultivate self-discipline and instil good character in students. Optional ties allow schools to maintain uniformity while showing trust in students.”D’Silva noted that the change does not abolish school uniforms but adjusts them thoughtfully, retaining shirts, trousers or skirts and school identity while removing an element that offers little educational value. He said allowing optional ties modernises the school environment without lowering expectations, emphasising that respect and accountability are stronger markers of discipline than uniform accessories. On Tuesday, the Education Ministry announced that students will no longer be required to wear neckties to school starting this year.

Usman Khawaja said Friday he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and Ashes clash against England, leaving a legacy as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer while lashing out at perceived “racial stereotyping” during his 15-year career. — REUTERSSYDNEY: Usman Khawaja said Friday he will retire from international cricket after the fifth and Ashes clash against England, leaving a legacy as Australia's first Muslim Test cricketer while lashing out at perceived "racial stereotyping" during his 15-year career. "I'm a proud Muslim coloured boy from Pakistan who was told that he would never play for the Australian cricket team. – 'Attacked me' –Khawaja, a qualified pilot, has plundered 6,206 runs in Test cricket with 16 centuries, averaging 43.39. I haven't seen anyone treated like that in the Australian cricket team before."

KUALA LUMPUR: Tune Protect Group Bhd is taking the necessary steps to operate as a digital-first company that understands its customers' needs beyond insurance. PREDOMINANTLY IN THE MIDDLE EASTAt present, Tune Protect operates in 34 markets spanning Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of Africa. In Malaysia, Tune Protect partners with 380 travel agents. BEYOND INSURANCEHow said Tune Protect is taking a holistic approach is to ensure its services cover the customer's needs. Tune Protect is also making significant investments in technology to streamline and simplify its operations.

The ringgit edged higher against the US dollar on the first trading day of the year, as the greenback weakened on expectations of possible further US Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026. STR/NABILA ADLINA AZAHARIKUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit edged higher against the US dollar on the first trading day of the year, as the greenback weakened on expectations of possible further US Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2026. At 8am, the local currency rose to 4.0540/0645 versus the US dollar from Wednesday's close of 4.0580/0620. According to reports, the Fed is expected to implement further interest rate cuts in 2026, amid open pressure from US President Donald Trump for a more dovish central bank leadership. He said in 2025, the US Dollar Index (DXY) declined by approximately 9.6 per cent, reflecting a sustained easing in US dollar exceptionalism.

SEMPORNA: A four-year-old boy was killed, while his father, younger sibling and another pillion rider were seriously injured when the motorcycle they were riding was involved in a collision with a pickup truck on Jalan Kampung Tampi-Tampi yesterday afternoon. In the incident at about 3.50pm, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining severe injuries when the motorcycle ridden by his father collided with the pickup truck, which was making a right turn at a junction. District police chief Superintendent Tan Hiap Wah said the crash involved a pickup truck driven by a 20-year-old woman and a motorcycle ridden by a 35-year-old man with three pillion riders. The victim's father, a 28-year-old adult male pillion rider and the victim's three-year-old sibling were seriously injured. "The accident is believed to have occurred when the motorcycle carrying the victims crashed into the pickup truck as it was turning right at the junction," he said in a statement last night.

(Jan 2): Australia's Nickel Industries said on Friday that South Korea's Sphere Corp will buy a 10% stake in the Excelsior Nickel Cobalt high-pressure acid leach plant (HPAL) project in Indonesia at a US$2.4 billion (RM9.73 billion) valuation. The South Korean materials manufacturer will acquire the stake from Hong Kong-based Decent Resource, while Nickel Industries will retain its 44% stake in the project, the Australian company said in a statement. The ENC HPAL project, being built in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi, will be the first HPAL project worldwide with the capacity to produce three class-1 nickel products —mixed hydroxide precipitate, nickel sulphate and nickel cathode, according to Nickel Industries' website. The deal comes at a time of soaring nickel prices as top producer Indonesia plans to cut mining output quotas to support commodity prices. Nickel Industries expects funding of the transaction to complete early in the first quarter of 2026.

BETONG: Two people were killed while nine others were injured in a road accident involving a four-wheel drive (4WD) carrying seven occupants and a car with four occupants along Jalan Lubok Antu on Thursday (Jan 1). The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at about 3.30pm and immediately dispatched a team from the Betong Fire and Rescue Station to the scene. Upon arrival, firefighters found that most of the victims had already been extricated from the vehicles by members of the public. Paramedics from the Health Ministry confirmed that two victims from the 4WD were pronounced dead at the scene. "Nine other victims sustained injuries and were handed over to the hospital authority for further treatment, while the firefighters assisted in transporting one injured victim to the hospital," it added.

He said that complaints about dirty toilets, particularly at entry points such as airports, are among the most frequent raised by visitors. “It’s not about how often cleaning is done, but how ‘clean’ the process is,” he said, likening poor practices to repeatedly mopping floors with dirty water. Noruddin explained that facade cleaning costs vary widely depending on building height, accessibility, equipment needs and time constraints. “Some buildings only allow facade cleaning on weekends. From an architectural perspective, Malaysian Institute of Architects president Adrianta Aziz said facade cleanliness of buildings and popular landmarks is critical in shaping a city’s image for visitors.

Scenes of trash-strewn streets following recent celebrations have reignited debate over a long-standing public mindset, that it is acceptable to litter because “someone else will clean it up”. “Those who are asking the cleaner to clean it, this is the kind of old mindset,” one user wrote. “These are the types of people that normalise the ‘someone else will clean it, so why bother?’ mentality,” said a third. Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia president Rajesh Nagarajan said the “leave it to the cleaners” mindset is fundamentally incompatible with the law. “If enforcement alone is relied upon, without a shift in public mindset, the law becomes reactive rather than preventative.

The country’s top cop says the Online Safety Act (Onsa), which came into force today, will strengthen national digital security and enhance protection against growing cyber threats. KUALA LUMPUR: Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the Online Safety Act (Onsa), which came into force yesterday, will strengthen national digital security and enhance protection against growing cyber threats. "Online child sexual exploitation crimes showed a worrying increase, with 688 cases recorded from January 2021 to November 2025." They are required to take proactive steps to keep users safe from harmful content online. Additionally, network service providers are required to cooperate during investigations and provide reasonable technical assistance within their capabilities when required.